Lockwood Tower
by superguy
Summary: During their third year, Harry and his friends are introduced to the Hippogriff. But, when the trio along with Draco and Neville are abandoned by the Hippogriffs on a deserted island, they must take refuge in an ancient tower forgotten by the school.
1. Preface

Preface

_Hogwarts, A History_

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry Library

Off the shoreline in the middle of the Great Lake on the Hogwarts Grounds there is an island. It's not well known because time has slowly softened its sharp points and students don't use it any more.

But there was a time when it was used. Not only has the island been forgotten by the depths of time, but the tower that stands on its soil as well. It was the decision of Headmaster Dippet to construct the tower on the tiny, almost unnoticeable island. But it was not without purpose.

The Dark Lord had steadily begun to rise and the Headmaster found himself and the students in a tight spot. The school was not safe. The once charming young Tom Riddle was now one of the most powerful wizards in the community and it seemed he would stop at nothing to take over. The taste of power he had received once out of Hogwarts was enough to drive him mad. Dippet considered the school a likely target – after everything with the Chamber of Secrets nonsense. The heir of Slytherin had caused enough panic and he wasn't even sure there was anything to panic about. But this time it was different. He could see the threat and that made it more threatening.

So, the tower was constructed. A new recruit was found for every night of the school year. Their job: to keep a look out for anything suspicious. The Dementors had their jobs of course, but they weren't proving to be much help. They seemed more interested in feasting on student's happiness than keeping an eye out for the Dark Lord.

Every night, students in pairs would make their way out to the tower by boat, bringing along with them provisions to last the night. They would of course be rewarded for their efforts if they were to report sightings of suspicious happenings. Quite a few students reported things the Dementors were doing wrong, so received House Points.

However, the tower was never used to spot the Dark Lord because his downfall came quite unexpectedly. In an instant Voldemort was defeated and the wizarding community celebrated it for weeks on end.

And so, the tower on Lockwood Island was slowly forgotten as students graduated and slipped into their roles in the community. The world changed as it waited for the time whenthe towerwould be used once again, and all those who knew aboutit hoped anxiously that the time would not be soon.


	2. Hippogriff

_For Kim; I miss you more than you know._

Chapter One:

HIPPOGRIFF

_Trotting towards them were a dozen of the most bizarre creatures Harry had ever seen. They had the bodies, hind legs, and tails of horses, but the front legs, wings, and heads of what seemed to be giant eagles, with cruel, steel-colored beaks and large, brilliantly orange eyes. The talons on their front legs were half a foot long and deadly looking. Each of the beasts had a thick leather collar around its neck, which was attached to a long chain, and the ends of all these were held in the vast hands of Hagrid, who came jogging into the paddock behind the creatures._

-_The Prisoner of Azkaban_

MALFOY WAS UP to it again. It seemed nobody but Harry noticed it, but Draco Malfoy was proving himself a slimy rat once again. Him and his stupid Slytherin friends guffawing like hyenas all the time. Each one appeared a sort of animal in Harry's eyes – though he told this to no one. If anyone were to find out what he really thought, he'd get another lecture. And didn't he get enough of those from the Dursleys over the summer holidays?

_Yes_, he thought resignedly to himself. _I will keep my mouth shut. Don't want to make matters worse. Man – no!_

He had to admit that the day had been starting to turn towards the better. For one, he had been stuck in a stupid classroom all morning long, which tended to get rather muggy since all the windows were closed due to rain. But, the rain had let up and he was happily exiting the boring Hogwarts Castle to what would possibly prove to be the most entertaining lesson of the day.

Hagrid's hut, the home of the Keeper of Keys at Hogwarts School slowly started to appear as Harry and his two friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger made their way down a flight of steep stone steps carved into the hillside. The large but cozy-looking home peeked through the pine trees surrounding it protectively. There was a fence surrounding it with one of those swinging doors Harry half expected the Dursleys to purchase attached to it. Behind the fence was a quaint – Harry hoped it was the right word – garden, housing _some_ familiar plants. Many were unknown to Harry, having only been introduced to the magical world two years before.

That sort of happiness fell over Harry and ran into his stomach like a coating of warm caramel on a candy apple. It was no secret to anyone how fond of Hagrid Harry was. The burly half-giant, twice as tall as any average man was the first person from the magical community to greet him, telling him of how famous he was. Of course, the fame business wasn't anything Harry liked to brag about. He was famous for escaping murder while his parents did not. So that had sunk into the back of his mind.

But, Hagrid was the first person – literally, in the world to present Harry with a homemade birthday cake. In fact, he was the first to wish Harry 'Happy Birthday' at all. That was something he had always remembered about Hagrid. The twinkle in his eye when he beamed down proudly at Harry that was as good as any father could do.

So it was a happy occasion when Harry realized his next class was Care of Magical Creatures, to be taught by none other than Rubeus Hagrid. _Professor_ Hagrid now. It was in Harry's mindset to call Hagrid "Professor" loudly every time he addressed the man. He knew how long Hagrid had waited to become a teacher at Hogwarts. Only a little of Hagrid's history was known to him, but he knew that Hagrid's wand was confiscated when he was merely a student at the school, and that had to have been terrible for him. So, the Professor bit had brightened Hagrid's attitude a bit.

_A lot_, Harry thought as he could now see Hagrid's entire home. It was always Hagrid's way to be cheerful, but Harry doubted whether that was because Hagrid was around him, or because he was naturally cheerful. He chose the latter because it was what he wanted to believe. Either way, he was happy to be going to Hagrid's.

Well, he _had_ been happy. It had nothing to do with the content of the class or the teacher of course. But, it had a lot to do with who he saw leaning against the white fence around Hagrid's. In fact, it wasn't just one person – it was a lot. The whole entire Slytherin class of third years was assembled before the nice, quiet building. But it _was_ the person at the head of the group leaning against the white fence who had ruined Harry's attitude completely.

"Oh my! Look everyone!"

Harry rolled his eyes and slowed his steps so that he was back with Ron and Hermione. Hermione groaned and Harry caught a glimpse of Ron's fists clenching.

Malfoy had abandoned his post at the fence and was strutting towards them. His bleach-blonde hair was slicked back, giving him the look of someone's "tough guy." Harry thought he remembered seeing someone like that in a Muggle film once. Dudley had been watching it before he slugged Harry in the stomach.

"Finally!" Malfoy said sarcastically in his drawl of a voice. "We thought you were never going to grace us with your presence, Potter. I was personally worried, after all that passing out you did on the train."

Crabbe and Goyle, Draco's thuggish bodyguards, led the Slytherins in a laugh.

Harry didn't like just standing there, taking it, but he had no choice. It was either he endured it or he punched Malfoy in the face and got expelled. Looking to his right, he could see Ron was considering the same thing. But, Harry wouldn't allow Ron to do anything.

"Don't worry about it, Ron," he muttered under his breath as they continued walking past the Slytherins. "He's not worth it."

He knew Ron didn't believe it, but he followed anyway.

"I hate him…" Hermione muttered to herself. "If you just gave me the chance…"

Ron chuckled.

"Hermione - come on. You really think you can hurt Malfoy?"

Harry grinned. The thought was amusing.

"Seriously, Ron," Hermione said in rebuttal. "I could take him if I wanted -"

"What, Potter?" came Malfoy's voice as it floated over to them. "No autographs today, then?"

"I'll do it." Hermione said with glints of sincerity lingering in her eyes. "Just say the word and I will hurt him -"

"No, Hermione -"

"Potter!"

"Just let me do it -"

"No, I can't -"

"Come on! Give me an autograph!"

"Harry, please -"

Malfoy started over to them, his arms crossed in an attempt to look intimidating.

"You could at least give Weasley your autograph." he said loudly over his shoulder. All the Slytherins listened intently to hear what he was going to say. Ron stopped, fists clenched. "You know as well as I that his…family, could use the profits from selling it."

Another chorus of laughs. Ron looked like it was taking all he had to hold back from breaking Malfoy's nose.

"Malfoy, I'm warning you -"

"What? If I say one more thing you'll set your boyfriend on me?"

Laughing.

"Malfoy, that's not funny." Hermione said sternly, stepping in front of Ron.

"Oh, and the Mudblood of course. She can't keep her nose out of anything."

The situation was getting out of hand when suddenly Pansy Parkinson screamed. Everyone stopped to look at her, then at what she was screaming at.

Coming out of the Dark Forest behind Hagrid's was a herd of enormous creatures that Harry had never seen before. They looked at first like giant birds, but the shadows cast over them by the trees hid the rest of their bodies. They trotted along strangely, almost reminiscent of horses in a corral.

"They're coming to eat us!" cried one of the Slytherins, and Harry chuckled with Ron. They saw that each of the giant creatures was tethered to a harness that buckled around their necks. The leather straps that tied them together were held in the hand of Hagrid who trotted along jovially with them. A grin beamed across his face as he spotted the wondered looks on the student's faces.

"Well, 'Ello everyone!" Hagrid said merrily as he walked the creatures over to a wooden post with a ring sticking out the top. On closer inspection in the sunlight, Harry could see that the creatures had wings! Giant white wings, almost like eagles. But, they weren't eagles at all. They were almost _half_-eagle. Their hind legs _were_ those of horses. Their bodies were horse-like too. Harry stared at them in bewilderment as Hagrid attached the ropes to the metal loop, freeing his hands.

Everyone stepped back as the creatures milled about, some even stretching their ropes until they became taught. Hermione seemed terrified of the creatures and stepped behind Harry, grabbing onto his arm. Ron gulped.

"Well, say 'ello, class," Hagrid started, "to yer firs' lesson!"

There was a quiet rumble of muttering as Hagrid walked over to one of the creatures and started stroking its feathers. The creature made a bird-like sound and closed its eyes in enjoyment.

"What in the world are those…things?" asked Ron as he watched Hagrid take out what appeared to be a dead ferret and dangle it in front of the beak of the creature. The bird head looked intensely at the ferret and then in one swift movement, snatched it out of Hagrid's hand and gulped it down, chomping it in half as it did so. Harry was surprised Hagrid's fingers weren't taken off along with the ferret.

"These are Hippogriffs, Ron," Hagrid started as he grinned at all of them. The class wasn't pleased. "An' they're wha' you'll be studyin' today."

"Studying?" Malfoy shot up. "How in the world are we going to _study_ them?"

Hagrid smiled. "Well, I'll need a volunteer teh show yeh, so if one of yeh could come up…"

Nobody moved.

"Aw, come on up, somebody. Harry - yeh can do it. Come on up."

Harry didn't like the idea. Everyone looked at him as though he was in a hearse and the group became exceptionally quiet. A nudge in the back from Ron got him moving towards Hagrid's outstretched hand, motioning for him to come closer.

"Come on, now. They won' bite."

"You sure about that?" came Pansy's voice as she crossed her arms.

"Yes, I'm sure of it. Now, Harry -"

Harry watched as Hagrid walked over to the pole and untied one of the ropes. Taking it in hand, he walked one of the creatures over to where Harry stood. Harry gulped, wanting to step away, but not.

"Here's Buckbeak. He'll be yer Hippogriff for today. If yeh do a good job, I migh' le' yeh ride 'im."

"Ride him?"

"Sure. Come on now, let's demonstra'e how teh do this…" He stepped back from the Hippogriff and started walking Harry through how to approach the creature. "Firs', yeh have teh bow to 'im, Harry. Go on. Bow…tha's it. Nice and low so he can see yeh."

Harry didn't really want to expose the back of his head to the intimidating Buckbeak, but he did as Hagrid told him to do.

"Now, if he likes yeh, he'll bow back. Now, watch everyone…"

Slowly, Buckbeak's head tilted into a bow. It was unmistakable.

"Well done, Harry!" Hagrid said merrily as Harry stood back up. "Very well done!"

The class sighed as one as Harry approached the Hippogriff. Buckbeak was very tame now that he had bowed to him and he even lowered his beak so that Harry could run his hand up and down it. It felt smooth, like a shell from the sea. The feathers slowly wove into the beak and were like velvet to the touch.

"Now tha' Harry's got Buckbeak's respec', he'll ride 'im. Now, I need a few more volunteers…if yeh could jus' come up…"

Harry watched with a grin as Ron stepped up. He looked intimidated as Harry had, but with the reassurance of Harry's smile, he stepped up.

"We're going to fly these things?" he asked as Hagrid selected a bronze-colored Hippogriff for him.

"Yep, ye'll do jus' tha'. Now, someone else?"

Hermione stepped up, doing the same.

The class seemed very interested now. The Hippogriffs weren't intimidating after all. They seemed quite friendly.

"I can take two more, then…"

Surprisingly, Malfoy stepped up. He strutted towards one of the Hippogriffs, muttering angrily to himself.

"I'll do it. Stupid turkeys. I just bow, do I?"

Hagrid nodded.

"Alrigh'. I need one more. Le's see…ah - Neville. Why don' you give it a try?"

Neville jumped at the mention of his name, but reluctantly made his way up to a Hippogriff and bowed to it. The Hippogriff seemed to wink and bow back. He chuckled to himself. "I'm gonna die…I know it…"

The class was relieved that nobody else would be picked to approach the fierce-looking creatures. It must have been fun to watch more than be intimidated and scared to death…

"Now, if ye'll put yer feet on the wing joint jus' there, yeh can mount 'em and I'll set yeh off."

"Where're we flying to, Hagrid?" Harry asked suddenly, intrigued. He'd loved flying on his broom. But, this was different than being on a broomstick. Buckbeak breathed beneath him, his back warm and comfy. The feathers were amazing. Harry watched as the sunlight glinted off of them.

"Ye'll be flyin' 'em teh the other side of the Great Lake an' back. Now, on the coun' of three…I'll set yeh off."

A brilliant jolt of excitement erupted inside Harry as he listened to Hagrid counting to three. He was anxious to get in the air now, feeling the strength of Buckbeak beneath him. Leaning forward, he wrapped his arms around Buckbeak's neck as the Hippogriffs took off at a run. They sprinted a few meters and then the Hippogriffs wings started to flap.

The gusts of wind surrounding Harry were tremendous. They tickled at his hair and whipped at his robes. He hadn't been chilled until he had started off with Buckbeak. The wind seemed to toy with them like a cyclone as they continued to run.

Then, in one swift movement, their feet left the ground and the Hippogriffs took to the air. A flapping sound roared all around them as the trees swept past them, transforming into those that a doll would feel at home with.

Ron called out across the air to Harry, smiling.

"This is amazing!"

The wind was roaring so loudly now that it was almost hard for Harry to hear, but he made out the shout fine. Hermione screamed in fright as her Hippogriff swooped low to the treetops, skimming the tips of them with its talons. Clouds of pine needles flew into the air. Clearly, someone didn't like flying.

Neville was clenching to his Hippogriff tightly as it soared into the lead. He watched the ground fleeting beneath him and closed his eyes. He didn't like to fly either. Ever since the broom accident first year, he'd never liked being outside the building in the air.

Malfoy seemed unimpressed.

"My Nimbus 2001 can go faster than this brute!" he cried to himself as his robes lifted all around him, clouding his face from view.

Harry leaned down close to Buckbeak's head and grinned. He urged him on. "Come on, Buckbeak! We can take them! Faster!"

Buckbeak heard this and flapped his wings harder, pulling them into the lead merely. Neville's Hippogriff was fast. It was amazing how it had turned into a chase in one moment. Harry pushed his robes out of his face and watched as Buckbeak neared the Great Lake.

The water shimmered in the sunlight. Harry was now so close to it that he could see Buckbeak's reflection in the ripples and waves. It was amazing! Astounding! Much more exhilarating than flying on his broomstick.

However fascinating it was to be flying on a Hippogriff, something took his attention away from flying. A tiny speck he had never seen before was rushing towards them on the water. For a second, Harry thought it was a boat with a student in it. But then again, he'd never seen someone on the lake unless it was a first year heading for the castle.

Hermione seemed to have noticed the speck too because she called over to Harry.

"What is that?"

Harry glanced over at her, fixing his slipping glasses back on the bridge of his nose. "I don't know!" he called to her as it slowly got bigger. It seemed to be green, so it must be some sort of land.

Ron swooped close to Harry so that they were less than a shouting distance away.

"Looks like an island." he said to Harry who nodded. Where had that come from? He didn't recall there being an island on the Great Lake before. Was it new? Perhaps…but why did they need it?

"Look! We're almost at the other side!" Hermione called, but Harry wasn't paying attention to the other side of the Lake. There was something on the island. It looked like a stone structure - much like the materials used to build Hogwarts. It seemed like a tower.

All of a sudden, Buckbeak swooped down and headed for the island. Hermione watched as Harry soared towards it.

"Harry! What're you doing?!"

Harry looked over his shoulder at Hermione and called back, "I don't know! I'm not doing it!"

Buckbeak seemed to have ideas of his own. He soared low to the ground of the rather large island and tilted his torso so that Harry started sliding off.

"Harry - stop him!" cried Hermione as she steered her Hippogriff towards Buckbeak. Ron and Neville did the same. Malfoy didn't do anything.

Harry was quickly losing his grip on Buckbeak and scrambled to grab onto something to keep him on the back. His fingers wrapped around some feathers and his weight pulled them out. Buckbeak lurched forward in pain as the feathers were torn from his back and shook Harry off.

Through the air Harry fell - ten feet, twenty. He didn't realize how high he was until he was falling. The island rushed up to meet him and he cascaded into the water just off shore. The cold of the water shocked him as he sunk - bubbles of white erupting around him in clouds.

Something told him this hadn't been a part of Hagrid's lesson.

Frantically, fighting against the weight of his robes, Harry struggled to the surface.


	3. Abandoned

_For Sarah, you are my number one fan. Thanks for all the support._

Chapter Two:

ABANDONED

WAVES CRASHED AROUND Harry as he swam towards the grassy shoreline of the island. It was freezing in the water. Waves slapped against his face as he tried to make his way out to the island. The wind picked up and sprays of green water flecked against Harry, collecting on his glasses.

Above him, his classmates flew in circles with their Hippogriffs, watching him as he struggled to make it to shore. Ron swooped down ahead of him and flew towards the island, landing there with a loud crunch. The weight of the Hippogriff sunk its talons into the sand, creating craters where the soft sand was once smooth.

Harry did finally make it to the shore, coughing up water as he waded up through the murky water. It had completely soaked his robes and the weight of them on his shoulders threatened to pull him back towards the water. Ron raced out to him, not fearing to enter the water as he splashed towards his soaked friend.

"Harry!" he cried as he caught Harry around the shoulders before Harry started to fall.

Grateful for the support, Harry leaned into Ron, draping his arm around his shoulders in turn. The fall had certainly done some damage to him. He felt a burning beneath his skin where he had slapped angrily against the water's surface. That was a long fall. He'd heard somewhere that falling from extreme heights and hitting the water was like smashing into concrete. He agreed with that now.

Up ahead on the shore, all the other Hippogriffs had landed and Hermione rushed over to them as they made it onto dry land. Neville was still trying to get off of his and Draco sat prominently on his.

"Are you alright, Harry?" Hermione asked, as she looked Harry up and down as a mother would to see if there were any scraped.

Harry had to struggle to regain his voice, but it came after he cleared it. The water had roughened it somewhat.

"I'm fine, Hermione. Just a little banged up as all."

She didn't seem satisfied and helped him take off his robes. Ron still had to help him stand. The fall made him a bit dizzy.

"Don't worry, mate," Ron started reassuringly as they helped him to sit on the shoreline. A large gust of wind blew at them, chilling Harry. "We'll get you back to the school. It's okay now."

Draco's voice came over the din of the waves, mockingly. "Not dead, Potter?"

Ron glared over at him.

"Why don't you make yourself useful, Malfoy," he started, "and get over here to help. In case you haven't noticed, Harry's pretty banged up."

"Really?" Draco drawled as he started to get off of his Hippogriff. "Don't worry, Potter. Boyfriend Ron will make it all better."

Harry didn't have the strength to retort, and he'd heard the jeers from Draco too many times to count. It didn't seem to affect him anymore.

"What're we going to do?" Neville asked as he stumbled across the sand towards the group. Draco had now joined as well. "Is Harry going to be okay? That was some fall, wasn't it?"

Harry nodded. "I'm fine, though. Just a little shaken. Wh - where's Buckbeak, anyway?"

They all looked around the beach. Buckbeak hadn't landed and seemed to be nowhere. Hermione seemed more upset than anybody did.

"This is all wrong," she muttered to herself. "Hagrid shouldn't have had us fly out here…"

A loud screech came from above them and they all looked to the sky to see what it was. It sounded like Buckbeak. Harry felt his head swim as he tilted it back, and then decided it wasn't a good idea, so leaned it back onto Ron who was standing above him. He did feel very dizzy.

Finally, Ron spotted it.

"Look! Up there!"

He pointed to the gray of the clouds where a small speck was hovering. Slowly, it came closer and Harry could see that it was Buckbeak after all. He was returning for them, it seemed. But, as the giant Hippogriff soared down, it swooped over them and perched on the top of the tower that sat twenty feet behind the group.

"Well, how do you like that?" Ron asked as he watched Buckbeak preen himself on top of the green tiled roof of the tower. It looked a lot like one of the spires that frequented Hogwarts, but really tall. The stones were gray and covered with mud at the base. Tall grass surrounded the spire and looked to be about up to their knees.

"Well, now what're we going to do?" Neville asked nervously, wringing the hem of his shirt in his hands. He had untucked it and was now wrinkling it profusely.

"I guess we can head back. Unless we can get Buckbeak down from there."

Harry groaned.

"What in the world is this place?" he asked the other three, excluding Draco who seemed still full of himself.

"I don't know," Ron started, helping Harry to his feet. "I've never heard of it before. Have you, Hermione?"

Hermione shook her head. "I've read _Hogwarts a History_ and there's no mention of a tower somewhere in the Great Lake. I've never seen it before."

Harry hadn't either. Even when students for the task that was required of the Triwizard Tournament had surrounded the lake, nobody had mentioned noticing a large tower in the middle. Perhaps that was because it was too far out for anyone to discern from the foliage of the trees and mountains, but even then…

"This is so stupid," Draco started, walking towards the tower. "What the Hell is that Hippogriff doing?"

Buckbeak seemed nonplussed by all the commotion that the group below him was making, and continued to preen itself. Harry didn't like it any more.

"That's it," he started as he struggled towards the tower. "I'm getting that stupid Hippogriff down so that we can go home."

"No - Harry!" Hermione started as she tried to stop him, but he pulled out of her grasp. "We don't even know what's inside that tower!"

"So?" he retorted as he waded through the high grass. It made swishing noises as it brushed against his clothing. He was still dripping wet, but he had to get home. What would happen when they didn't return with the Hippogriffs? Hagrid could lose his job or worse.

"What're you going to do?" Draco asked as he followed. "How do you know that the stairs in that thing aren't rotting away?"

Harry still didn't care. He had to get up there and coax Buckbeak to come down.

There was a door hidden amidst the grass, very large and looked to be made of oak as the front door to the Entrance Hall at Hogwarts was. It was very old looking and seemed to be weathered by the wind and rain. Large bronze designs made their way intricately across the wood, rusting at the hinges.

"Can't we just fly two to a Hippogriff and go back?" Hermione asked as Harry reached out for the handle.

"No, Hermione," Harry started as he turned to her. Ron wasn't far behind. "If we get back without Buckbeak and Hagrid has to report it to someone, then he could get fired. Do you want that?"

Hermione thought about the possibility and then shook her head quickly. "No, I guess not."

"Okay then," Harry finished as he pulled up on the handle. It was very rusty and irritated the palm of his hand as he tried to open the door. The weight of it took some effort, but Harry managed to pull it open a crack after a minute's toil.

The creak was loud over the rush of the waves against the shore. Neville jumped. Draco laughed.

"Stop being such a pansy, Longbottom," he chuckled as he stepped towards the front of the group behind Ron and Harry. "Well, aren't you going to open it all the way so we can see inside?"

Harry watched as Ron glared. Draco backed off.

Carefully so that he wouldn't pinch his fingers, he slid them into the opening between the wood and the stone and pulled back. The rust on the hinges gave him some trouble, but he finally opened it enough so that they could see. The dim light clouded everything inside with shadows. It was as though someone had cloaked the room with a blue darkness. But there wasn't much to see as Harry stepped inside.

They were in a large room with bare walls. Only a few burned out torches were seen, covered in dust. The floor was coated in the dust and it stuck to the hems of their pants as they all filed into the room, Neville last as Draco shoved past him. He was very meek by nature it seemed.

A cough came out of Harry's lungs as he breathed in the air. It was musty. Like that of the cellar at the Dursley's house. He had been forced to clean it out in order to earn a decent meal that summer. The muck like substance that had been in the cellar there was in abundance here, glazing the walls. There was no furniture of any kind and farther into the room, where the shadows were the thickest, was a set of stairs spiraling up behind a wall.

"Well, this is interesting," Draco said airily as he stepped ahead of all of them into the dank room. "Like a Muggle movie, isn't it, _Granger_?"

This didn't affect Hermione, but Ron was.

"Will you shut it, Malfoy?" he threatened as he took a step towards the haughty boy. Draco wasn't afraid at all. "Can't you see how serious this is?"

"No, not really. But, when my father finds out about this he'll -"

"Oh no you don't!" Hermione said as she stepped up to Draco this time, pushing Ron back towards Harry and Neville. "You are not going to go cry to your father and get Hagrid sacked. I know how you work, you snake."

Draco chuckled at how up front Hermione was being. "Oh, a snake am I now?"

Hermione made a disgusted sound as she pushed him out of the way and made her way to the stairs. "Come on. If we're going to get Buckbeak back, we'd better get as high as we can."

"I don't like heights," Neville muttered to Harry as they all followed.

"Me neither," Ron added as they filed up the stairway, Harry in the lead with Ron behind him in case he got dizzy again. "Well, at least the stairs are stone. They can't rot."

"Yeah, but they can crumble," Draco added from behind as he listened to Neville whimper.

Before long, they arrived at a sort of landing outside a doorway where Hermione was waiting. She had pulled out her wand and her arms were crossed.

"So, here we are," she started as she looked at all of them. "I think this is the top. The door's locked, so I'm going to use a spell on it."

She quickly did and the door opened easily. Draco made a snide remark and Ron shoved him almost down the stairs.

The next room was really small compared to the one they had just left below. It was circular as was the spire outside, but it was more furnished here. A sort of carpet that was gray with all the dust felt different under their feet. The walls were covered with rows of torches and a large table sat at the far end before a row of windows. They were covered in glass so that the wind wouldn't how through the room.

On the table, Harry saw, there were tiny gadgets that he'd never seen before. One appeared to be some sort of cooking device because a flame maker was beneath it. Another was a box like structure that looked reminiscent of a toaster. It had two slots in it that seemed the place where bread would be placed. The other items were covered so heavily in dust that they couldn't be deciphered.

"Well, isn't this interesting?" Draco said as he walked to the table.

"Don't touch anything, Malfoy," Ron started, but Draco wasn't paying attention. He quickly took a ball off the table and started rolling it in his hands. It seemed like a miniature cannon ball. Decorations were carved all over it many filled with dust.

"Look, there's a window we can see out of," Hermione stated as she walked towards the lone window. It wasn't part of the row of windows before the table. It was larger and shaped like a square. Something told Harry it was there for a reason other than decoration.

"Maybe if we can open it," Ron started, walking over to her, "we can get Buckbeak to come down by calling to him. He's like a bird, so they're naturally stupid."

Hermione glanced over at him with a grin. "What do you mean?"

"Well, those old ladies at the parks? They could lure pigeons to them and then eat them if they wanted to."

This got a chorus of laughter from everyone except Draco. He seemed disgusted with the attempt at a joke.

"That was so stupid, Weasley," he started, but Hermione shushed him. They had opened the window and were looking up towards the top of the tower.

Harry moved towards the two of them and they parted so that he could see for himself. They weren't far from the top of the tower where Buckbeak was sitting. Maybe ten feet or so, he guessed. He could see Buckbeak's head leaning over the edge to see where the group of children had gone. It made a screeching noise when it was Harry leaning out the window, staring up at him.

"Buckbeak!" he started, trying to get the bird's attention.

This seemed to do nothing.

"Buckbeak - please come down!"

This did something. The Hippogriff leaped off the top of the tower and started flying off towards the water where it landed and began to drink.

"Well," Ron started with a grin. "That was easier than I thought it would be."

Harry shrugged. "At least he's down now."

Hermione nodded. "Let's go before we get into more trouble, please."

They all agreed that it was a good idea. Filing back down the spiral staircase, they headed back to the entrance. It was dark when they got there. The wind had closed the door on them, which seemed impossible because of the weight of the thing. But, it had and they now had to feel their way towards the latch.

Hermione finally took out her wand and muttered _lumos_ to get some light into the dank area.

Harry was about to reach for the latch when he noticed that there was none.

"Wait - what?"

Ron stepped up.

"What's the matter?"

Harry stared at him in disbelief. "There's no latch!"

"What?"

Hermione and Neville stepped up this time, concerned.

"There has to be a latch," Draco said back in the shadows. "You're just not looking hard enough for it. This is an old tower. Maybe it's blended with dust?"

But that wasn't the case. There simply wasn't a latch.

"Alright then, stupid door," Hermione started. "How do you like being unlocked?"

She aimed her wand at it and muttered _Alo Hamora_. A jet of bright light shot out at the door and spread through the grooves in the ancient wood. But, nothing happened.

"Huh?" she started as she muttered it again. The same thing happened. The door remained closed.

"What is this?" Ron said angrily as he felt around the edges of the door. It had to be pulled towards them to be opened and there was no way they could do that without something to grab onto. "We're locked in!"

"No we're not," Draco shot back as he shoved them out of the way. "Let a real wizard do this."

He stood with his feet shoulder length apart and steadied himself as he pointed his own wand at the door. The whole room went silent as he prepared to mutter the spell.

"_Alo Hamora_!" he cried as the jet of air shot out towards the door. It exploded against the door and tiny lines of light spread across the dark umber of the wood. Still nothing happened.

"No way!" Draco cried. "We're stuck here!"

He resorted to banging on the door with his fists, but Harry stopped him.

"Malfoy, stop it. You'll just make it worse."

"No, we have to get out of here!"

"Stop it! You're being worse than Neville and he's -"

Ron turned. Where Neville had once been behind them, he was now gone.

"Huh?"

Hermione sighed. "Where did he go?"

"Maybe he went upstairs." Harry suggested, and they all started back up the staircase to find out.

When they got there, Neville was sitting on the edge of the table with his head in his hands. He appeared to be crying to himself. Hermione moved over to him and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Neville, don't worry. We'll get out of this alright."

"No, we won't." Neville sobbed.

"What are you talking about?" Ron asked as he walked over to them.

Neville sat up and pointed to the window. They all looked over to it.

"The Hippogriffs are gone. They flew back to the castle."

Draco rushed over to the window to see. With a groan of disgust and frustration, he looked back at them.

"He's right. They're gone."

Neville began sobbing once again. Between sobs he had enough time to mutter his own words of frustration.

"Nobody knows we're here."


	4. Fire and Ice

Chapter Three:

FIRE AND ICE

THE FIVE WIZARDS couldn't believe what had happened. One second their plans of getting Buckbeak down from the top of the spire seemed to work. The Hippogriff soared easily down with just a muttering of the words _get down_. Harry felt he had succeeded at least. With a massive headache from the fall off the Hippogriff, he was ready to get back to Hogwarts and perhaps head to the Hospital Wing for some medicine to ease the pain of the ache. Soaked and dripping all over the dusty floor, the group had tried to get out of the tower. But, for some reason that they didn't know, there was no hinge on the inside of the massive oak barrier. Even when Hermione, the brightest of them all, attempted to do the _Alo Hamora_ spell, nothing happened.

"We're so stuck!" Neville cried as he sat on the dusty table in the loft room, the one with the window reminiscent of a watch window seen in Muggle textbooks. The nervous boy's shoulders trembled as he held his face in his hands. Even though he hadn't fallen off his Hippogriff and hadn't even set foot or toe in the frigid water of the Great Lake, the boy could have passed as worse off than Harry felt. "We're going to starve!"

"Nobody's going to starve!" Hermione consoled, trying to calm the shivering boy. It seemed there was no way.

"No, we're not," Ron said as he glanced over at Harry who was standing by his side, massaging his temples with his fingers. It didn't look good for him at all. His hair was still dripping wet and hung in his eyes. Cloaks stuck to skin and there were messy footprints that trailed back and forth over the dust-encrusted floor on which they stood. Stepping forward, Ron reached up a hand. "Harry – would you let me…"

He brushed the wet hair out of Harry's eyes and helped the soaking boy out of his long black Hogwarts robe. Taking off his own, Ron draped it over his friend's shoulders and ran a hand up and down his arms to try to get the blood circulating again.

"Th-thanks." Harry muttered as he held the robe closed over his chest.

"Don't mention it. Now, let's figure out a way to open that door."

Hermione agreed and gingerly got to her feet, pulling out her wand and lighting it with a tap of her hand, muttering _lumos_ under her breath.

And so, Ron, Harry, Hermione and Neville started down the stairs. Draco it seemed had already made his way down the stairs and they found him at the door, blasting it with spells that seemed to do nothing more than ricochet off and dissipate into thin air.

"Damn it!" he cried as he fixed his robes. In all the effort of doing the spells, the shoulders had slipped down his arms and were hanging off his back. He made a disgusted sound as he glared at the four coming down the steps. "Back to help now?"

"Stop being so moody!" Hermione said forcefully as she stepped up to the door. "We all want to get out of here as much as you do!"

"Oh yeah?"

Hermione looked him in the eye.

"Yeah. Now shut it and let me try something."

"Oh, oh! Going to work your _magic_ on it now?"

Hermione glared at him out of the corner of her eye.

"Could you be quiet, please?" she asked as she tried to think of the right spell to try.

Draco wasn't impressed.

"Well, come on! Do something, why don't you? You're such an _expert_ at magic, a mere Muggle. Come on. Show me up."

"Malfoy –"

"Come on!"

"SHUT UP!"

Hermione's wand suddenly blasted an orange jet of light out of it, and what looked like a flame came searing out of the bright tip, shooting towards the door. All five of them gasped as they watched what ensued in a mere five seconds.

The flame landed against the wooden door, and instead of igniting it on fire, spread out as though it were meeting steel. The air around it rippled out in waves of heat and the flames turned into a wall, enveloping the wood surface – yet, not harming it at all. Then, when the entire door was covered in flames, the wall of flickering light seemed to go in reverse, returning to the center of the door and collecting in a ball of flame.

As quickly as it had spread out, the flame ball shot out at Hermione and she ducked to miss it. Going straight over her head, it shot at Draco and erupted on his arm, catching on his sleeve and igniting the black fabric of his robes.

"AAAAHHH!" he hollered as he ran around, caught on fire. "PUT ME OUT! PUT ME OUT!"

Ron was laughing at the boy, but Harry couldn't stand there and watch this. He got to his feet and grabbed Draco by the shoulders and held him at a stop, gripping his arm with both hands and smothering the sleeve out with the excess fabric of the robe. Left behind was a glaring hole, charred black and still smoking. Circling the hole was a thin line of orange that quickly went out.

There was a few moments of heavy breathing between the five, and then Harry returned to his place beside Ron, sitting on the ground at his friend's feet and leaning his head against his leg. It took a lot of effort to hold it up, and Ron didn't seem to mind. He just looked down at his friend sympathetically and put a hand on his shoulder.

"You look like you're in pain," he muttered as Harry put a hand on his forehead.

"I _feel_ like I'm in pain." Harry returned.

Hermione came over to him and crouched before Harry, peering into his eyes as she pulled the boy's hand away from his face.

"Here – let me see for a second."

Neville also came over. Draco was the only one who wasn't interested in Harry. He stood in the corner of the room, nursing his arm that looked like it was a bit irritated by the sudden flames.

"Can you follow this light with your eyes?" Hermione asked as she ignited her wand with a soft light.

Harry squinted at first, then opened his eyes fully and followed as the light went to the left, then to the right.

"Is there something wrong with me?" he asked as he rested his head back on Ron.

"I'm not sure," Hermione started, and Ron looked at her in interest while she spoke. "But, this is how they check you for damage if you get a nosebleed in the Muggle hospital. Your eyes seem to react naturally to the light. So, I suppose you're just a bit banged up. That was quite the fall. Did you swallow any water? Inhale any at all?"

Harry tried to remember. He remembered almost drowning, but he hadn't _swallowed_ any of the green lake water. Nor had be inhaled any either.

"No. I didn't get any into my system." he replied as he held the robes closer to his chest. The cold was coming on.

"Alright," Hermione concluded. "I suppose since we can't get out, we should try to make some place comfortable for you to lie down for the night."

"Night?" came Draco's voice from the corner. He stepped forward. "We're going to be here _tonight_?"

"Where else can we go?" Hermione asked as she helped Harry to his feet. This seemed a struggle for him, and he seemed to be getting worse by the minute.

"I am _not_ sleeping here."

Ron groaned.

"If we can't get out, where else are you going to sleep?"

Draco gave him a glare.

"We have to get out of here. There _has_ to be a way out. Maybe not through this door, but through a window or something."

Neville spoke up this time.

"Did you notice that the only window in this place is probably fifty feet off the ground?"

"I…"

Draco seemed stuck.

"Well?"

Finally, he gave in to the inevitable.

"No, I didn't think of that."

"Well," Hermione started. "There we have it. There's nothing we can do."

"I really don't want to just _sleep_ here." Draco continued. "Can't we try to get somebody's attention?"

"I'm sure they already know we're missing by now," Hermione consoled. "The Hippogriffs must be back there already and Hagrid will know something's wrong when we don't show up riding them."

"Really?" Draco started his sarcasm returning. "He'll know who to talk to? That's a surprise."

Harry made the effort to say something back, but Ron shushed him.

"Save your energy, mate," he said as they started up the stairs. "Malfoy – really. You make it sound as if Hagrid's dense."

"He looks it, doesn't he?"

"He does not!" Hermione said as she hurried ahead, eager to get away from the nasty boy. "You're so mean!"

"_I'm so mean_!" Draco mocked. "Don't we sound like stereotypical girls now?"

"That's it! I've had it!" Hermione said as she stopped at the top stair. Turning, she pointed a finger at Draco. "You can sleep downstairs."

"Oh, I'm taking orders from you?"

She held out her wand, aiming it at his forehead.

"You really want to challenge me?" she asked as she waved the wand in front of his eyes. "One word. That's all it's going to take to erase your memory or worse. I can make you irreversibly blind. Would you like that?"

Draco glared, then gave up.

"Fine. You know what? Fine. I'm better off alone." He started down the stairs. "I'll try some more stuff too, while I'm down here. Concentration. Good…"

His voice trailed off as the other four continued into the loft room.

"Let's make a bed for Harry," Hermione suggested as she searched the room for something that could make a good bed. She found a curtain that was lying in a corner and shook off the dust.

"We could use that table," Neville suggested. "Pull it away from the wall, would make a good bed. Off the ground."

"Good." Ron said as he found himself completely supporting Harry. Something was seriously wrong with him now. It couldn't have been just the fall that was doing this. Something was making him weaker. Something they didn't know of. "Let's hurry. He's looking worse."

Hermione stopped and looked over at Harry.

"Harry?"

She knelt before him and glanced up at his face.

"Harry, are you alright? Can you hear me?"

There was no response.

"What's happened?" Neville asked, nervousness creeping back into his voice.

"He's passed out." Hermione said as she started to quickly remove all the items from the long table, placing them over to the side of the dusty room. Neville helped, and before long they had cleared the entire thing and covered it with the curtain.

Ron lifted Harry's legs up and held him in his arms, lowering him to the table carefully and making sure he wasn't going to roll off. Hermione put the back of her hand quickly to Harry's forehead and frowned.

"He feels like ice."

Ron put a hand to Harry's cheek and discovered the same. Indeed, Harry's skin had lost about four shades since they first were downstairs.

"What're we going to do?" Neville asked, as he looked frantically from Ron to Hermione.

Hermione pulled out her wand. Muttering a spell, she quickly created a sheet of shimmering air that stretched out above Harry in the shape of a rectangle.

"What's that?" Ron asked, a bit concerned.

"A heat blanket." Hermione replied as she lowered her wand, and with it, the sheet of shimmering air. It looked like the heat that was seen hovering over a road when the summer was hot. The air acted exactly as a regular blanket would and conformed to his body as best it could. The shivering boy clutched at it and held it closer to his face.

"Will that help him?" Neville asked as he watched Harry shiver.

"I'm hoping." Hermione muttered as she observed Harry. "If not, I don't know what else we can do."

"This is terrible!" Neville whimpered. "What if Harry…"

All three shook the cold unease out of the air and tried not to think of the worst of the situation.

"Don't think that," Hermione said back in a reassuring tone. "Harry will be fine. Really." She stroked a finger up and down his cheek as if in an attempt to make heat return to his body. "He'll be just fine."

"I hope." Ron added. He looked around the room and spotted a chair. Walking over to it, he dragged the ordinary wooden chair next to the table and sat down in it. "If you guys don't mind, I'll sit and watch Harry if you want to search for a way out."

Hermione watched Ron for a moment, then nodded.

"Sure. I…I'll go do that. While it's still light out."

Neville looked out the window. It didn't look like it would be light for much longer. The sun had already made its descent beneath the covering of trees on the hills and mountains around the Great Lake and Hogwarts itself.

Ron looked down at Harry and then up at Neville.

"You staying up here too?"

Neville nodded and came to stand beside Ron's chair.

Ron took Harry's hand and held it in his, trying to feel the cold out of it. The hand felt like a block of ice. If he didn't know any better, he would have thought it was getting colder as he held it.

"Come on, Harry," he muttered under his breath. "I'm here for ya. Snap out of it."

These words fell on deaf ears because Harry didn't seem like he could hear a thing.


	5. Nightfall

Chapter Four:

NIGHTFALL

HERMIONE FOUND DRACO down the flight of spiral stairs and sitting against the wall, knees drawn up to his chin as he continued to nurse the wound he had acquired from the ball of flame. If she hadn't been so upset with him, she would have pitied him. Indeed, he looked quite helpless, even though she knew for a fact that there was a jet-black wand tucked away within the depths of his robes.

The pale boy with white-blonde hair looked up when he heard her footsteps echoing softly through the room. His sneer or disgust was evident, even with the cloak of darkness all around.

Not being able to stand the darkness herself, Hermione lifted her wand to one of the torches held up on the stone wall with a curving sconce and muttered _Inflamore_, igniting the end of the torch that was laced with a metal brim. This ensured that the flames didn't go anywhere except where they were meant to go.

Draco blinked at the sudden light and watched as Hermione did the same to the many other torches around the room.

"Come to yell at me?" he asked as he held his forearm where the injury was closer to his face. This reminded Hermione of something she'd seen an animal do once on film, a bear perhaps when it was injured. It must have been a National Geographic her parents had made her watch one Sunday during the holidays.

"No," she started as she walked over to her, every footstep echoing eerily off the walls around them, making the atmosphere feel fluid. "No, I haven't come to yell at you."

She made a motion to the spot beside Draco, and when he didn't catch on, she continued.

"May I?"

Draco rolled his eyes and shoved over.

"I suppose," he drawled as she took a seat beside the boy.

"I…uh…came to apologize. For earlier." Hermione started as she looked over at him. He seemed nonplussed by this effort at making peace and snarled.

"Almost cost me an arm, you did!" he snarled.

"Does it hurt you a lot?" she asked as he pulled his arm away.

"Oh no! I'm not letting you touch me!"

"Just let me look at it for a minute –"

"No!"

He moved away from her and she sighed, brushing her hair out of her face.

"Fine." she started. "Fine – I won't…won't touch it. Or you, if you don't want me to. You can just suffer while I know all the charms for anti-burn treatment and all."

This seemed to coax Draco out of his stubborn streak, and he rethought his actions.

"If you're going to help without hurting me more, I guess you can do something." he replied as he moved back over to where he was originally, beside Hermione who was smiling slightly. She put her wand down and held out her hands in a motion for him to give her his arm.

"Let me take a look, please," she started as she took his arm. The hole that had been burned into his sleeve was larger than she had first seen. The fabric was so abused that she could see skin beneath and half of his arm also.

"Ouch!" Draco cried as she tried to gently push his sleeve up so that she could see the damage more properly.

"I didn't even do anything," Hermione said, looking him in the eyes.

"Well, it still hurts!" Draco retorted.

"Just – oh! Let me do a severing charm."

"What!"

"On your sleeve!"

Draco looked relieved.

"All…alright."

"Honestly, did you think I meant on your arm?"

This made them both laugh, and Hermione was grateful for the chance to rid the room of the tension that she could have cut with a knife.

Peeling the fabric back, she saw that the skin was raw and red, almost like when she got a sun burn in the summer time when her parents implored that she wear sunscreen. Draco's skin was fair, and the red was a high contrast to his natural tone. He watched her like a hawk as she touched the flesh with her fingertips.

"Does this hurt?" she asked as Draco moaned.

"Don't do that!" he said as she pulled her fingers back. "It really burns!"

"Sorry…"

Their eyes caught each other once, and then they darted away from each other. It was uncomfortable for a moment. Then, the uncomfortable passed as Hermione picked up her wand.

"Let me do a charm on it."

Draco didn't really want anything done to it, but he allowed her to mutter a spell on his arm that sent a sheet of white over it, something reminiscent of a cast in the Muggle world.

"There," she said with finality in her voice. "That should stem the pain and keep you from irritating it."

"I wouldn't irritate it."

"How do I know that?"

There was a long silence that followed this and they both looked away.

Then, after a moment or two, Draco spoke up.

"How's Potter doing?"

"Oh, he's…he's okay, I guess."

"You guess?"

"Well, I don't really know what's wrong." Hermione went on. "It could be anything. Maybe even hypothermia."

"Hypothermia? It isn't even that cold!"

"I don't know. You never really know with these things. Water can be funny. It looks like you're okay, but you really aren't. I read somewhere once that this guy was rescued from the water when he couldn't swim. Everyone thought he was fine, so they sent him home to his bed to rest. The swim from the deeper area of the water had taken a lot out of him. The next day they found him in his bed, dead."

This sent shivers down Draco's spine.

"Dead?"

Hermione nodded.

"Turns out he had swallowed a bunch of water and some of it went into his lungs. He drowned in his sleep and he wasn't even in the water then."

Draco drew his knees back up to his chin and hugged them there.

"That's terrible."

"It could be happening to Harry. We never know, do we?"

"No…we don't."

Another long silence ensued, and only the sound of the crackling flames in the torches was heard before Hermione went on.

"You know, Malfoy –"

"Draco."

Hermione stopped.

"Huh?"

Draco smiled slightly. "You can call me Draco. It's my first name, after all."

Hermione smiled back.

"Okay…Draco. You know, I'm sorry about everything that's happened."

"My arm's alright. You don't have to –"

"No, not just about that. About…oh, about everything, I guess. This whole mess. These past years and all. I guess everything's put into a new perspective when you're stuck somewhere with someone you never really liked."

Draco nodded.

"I see what you mean."

Silence.

"You know," he went on after thinking about what he was going to say beforehand. "I think I should be apologizing, actually. I'm just as much to blame for all the stress. I can get carried away with my sense of humor –"

"_Sense of humor_!"

"Well –"

"That's what you call it!"

The two laughed. It was the second time they ever had.

"It's – it's more of a curse, really," Draco went on, trying to fight off the laughter. "I inherited it from my father, or at least that's what my mum says. Genetics. Never was really good at it. It's really a Muggle thing, isn't it?"

"Not really," Hermione said back. "It applies to Wizards. They just don't study it at their schools, that's all."

"And at Muggle schools, they make you learn that stuff?"

"Of course."

Draco had to take a minute to soak this in.

"They actually make you take courses on what you're _made_ of? How you're made?"

Hermione grinned with a blush in between.

"Yeah. They call it…oh, I can't even say it without blushing! Well, the appropriate course is called Biology. That's the study of living things. Animals and such. There's another class that teaches just about people and how they reproduce too. It's a requirement for all Muggle children. They usually start taking it at the end of their childhood schooling."

"They learn…how to do _it_?" Draco asked, not daring to say the word they were both thinking of.

"Well, no, they don't learn that. They have to…have to figure it out with their parents. They learn what makes them different though."

"Can't tell for themselves, can they?" Draco chuckled. "Have to learn it and be taught by an adult? Mustn't be very independent."

"Oh – some of them are." Hermione retorted. "Some of them _really_ are."

"Naturally."

There was a moment where the two of them looked at each other and contemplated saying anything more. But, Hermione started to stand up.

"I should probably get going back upstairs." she began as she walked slowly – almost leisurely towards the stairs. "Ron will probably want to speak to me about Harry and everything."

"Sure. Go ahead."

Hermione started to go up the stairs, but stopped. Glancing over her shoulder, she began.

"You can join us, if you'd like."

Draco waved his good hand for her to go on.

"Naw, go ahead. They don't want to see me right now. I've ruffled too many feathers for today."

"You sure?" Hermione implored further. "I can tell them that we've made a trues and all."

"Don't worry about it." Draco continued, stubborn as always. "Just go make sure Potter's okay for me. I know he won't want to see me at all. After all, I've just been an ass to him lately."

Hermione didn't want to agree, but she knew it was the truth and nothing could change that.

"I suppose, if you really want to stay down here. But, if you need anything, come up and tell me. I'll be glad to help in any way I can."

Draco nodded.

"Sure thing. Now get on up there and help your friend. He needs you more than I do."

Hermione smiled, and with that started up the stairs to where Harry, Ron and Neville were sitting anxiously awaiting her return.

Then, Draco was left alone in the bare room with nothing but dust on the floors and a few torches to keep the light coming. It wasn't that he was afraid of being alone – oh no. He was made of stronger stuff than that. But, he needed some time to himself to think things over.

That burst of nice had been unexpected. He didn't even know that he was capable of that type of kindness.

_I usually surprise myself_, he thought blandly to himself as he tried to decide what to do. He was really tired, and knew he could use some rest.

Looking all around, he saw that the floor was completely coated with the gray dust.

"Man…" he muttered to himself as he started brushing the dust away from him with his good hand. "Figures I have to do some work to earn some sleep."

Long, largo streaks were soon seen, and the stone floor – which was made up of a multitude of gray bricks (to Draco's surprise), were soon revealed all around him. Quickening his strokes, Draco hurried to create a big enough clearing so that he could lie down and sleep.

But something made him stop.

A sound was heard as he dropped his palm against the floor before him.

Different.

The noise wasn't dull like all the other stones would have made. This sound was hollowed, like the stone was thinner than all the others were he'd felt.

"Odd…" he started, moving so that he was on his knees. Brushing the dust eagerly away, he was that there were lines where the stone was placed among the others, flush so that the floor would appear smooth.

Tracing the lines of dust that surrounded the stone, Draco tried to grip the stone with his fingers. It took some effort, but he finally managed to lift the stone a bit out of the floor. It wasn't heavy – rather light, actually. But, it took some effort to lift the stone out. It was quite a tight squeeze, and the stone had probably been there for decades.

At last, the stone was completely out of the floor, and Draco saw to his surprise that there was a hole in the ground. Deeper than it should have been. Almost like a storage unit. Too dark to see inside, Draco pulled out his wand and muttered _Lumos_, casting a bright light over the hole.

With the opening now illuminated, Draco saw that there was something inside the hole. Contents that he hadn't seen in the dark.

Reaching his hand down – for the hole was just big enough for that – Draco gripped the object and pulled it out.

The moment he saw what it was, he knew it was important.

Getting to his feet, he started for the stairs, hoping to get to Hermione and make some sense of what he had found. Perhaps it was the key to them getting out of the tower, their prison sanctuary.


	6. Puzzle Pieces

Chapter Five:

PUZZLE PIECES

HARRY WASN'T DOING so well. Since Hermione had left, Ron noticed that his skin had turned to the color of egg whites. Though he had been drenched before, Harry was now covered in a cold sweat that Ron was trying to wipe away every few minutes. The entire situation was creating a feeling of dread down in the pit of his stomach. It was as though a tree of anxiousness was blooming within him, and he had no way of chopping it down and discarding of it.

Looking down, he saw that Harry's fingers were slowly opening and closing as though he were preparing to fight someone. This alarmed Ron in a way that he hadn't been before. What was plaguing Harry? Was he having some sort of fiendish nightmare that couldn't be helped? The thoughts that Ron could do nothing to help only made the dread in his stomach multiply dozens of times more.

"Harry…come on…" he muttered more to himself than to anybody in the room. Taking his friend's shaking hand, he tried to sooth it to no avail.

Harry's eyes flickered back and forth rapidly beneath the pale eyelids. There was no doubt in Ron's mind now that his friend was being plagued with nightmares. Probably terrifying ones. He didn't even want to imagine what they were about.

More sweat beaded on Harry's brow, and Ron took the edge of his sleeve and wiped it from the boy's forehead. Harry's eyebrows wrinkled together as his brow furrowed, yet still he didn't awake.

Hermione came up the stairs quickly and noticed how Harry was doing, glancing at Ron as she hurried to his side.

"Is he doing worse?"

Ron nodded.

"Yeah."

"This isn't good."

Hermione reached out and pulled the shimmering air blanket off of Harry and started to open his robes. She faltered for a moment, as if unsure what she was doing, then started unbuttoning Harry's soaked shirt. Button by button more of Harry's pale chest was revealed. Ron watched as slowly Harry's entire chest was exposed to the air. It didn't look good at all.

The skin that should have been a soft peach color was now as white as snow. Every blood vessel in Harry's body could be seen and many stuck out in areas. The blue added a chill to the look of cold that was enveloping Harry.

"Oh my gosh, he's freezing!" Hermione cried as she ran her hands up and down Harry's chest, trying to get the blood to circulate. But, that didn't seem the problem. The blood was definitely circulating, but Harry was still cold.

"What's going on, Hermione?" Ron asked loudly as he watched Harry begin to go into a series of fits and tremors that only added to the intensity of the situation.

"I don't know!" Hermione said, sounding more helpless than she ever had. Tears were welling in her eyes and she had to blink to get rid of them. In discouragement, she cried out, "Harry – what's wrong with you!"

Suddenly, Harry stopped shaking and went limp.

Ron's eyes widened as he watched his friend seem to drain away.

"His heat's stopped!" Hermione cried as Ron jumped in front of her, lacing his fingers so that one hand was beneath the other. Straightening his shoulders, he prepared to pump Harry's chest.

Hermione was crying as he did it. Harry's chest gave a lot of resistance, but Ron leaned his weight into it and felt the ribs creak beneath his fists.

"Come on, Harry!" he said through gritted teeth. He pumped the chest rapidly multiple times. "Snap out of it! Come on!"

Still, there was no response from the boy lying helplessly on the table.

"Come on – wake up!" Ron cried as he pressed harder on his friend, and watched, as this did nothing.

Stepping back, he placed his hands on Harry's head, tilting his chin backwards and opened his jaw, letting his lips slip open.

Glancing up at Hermione, he lowered his head closer to Harry's and then covered Harry's lips with his, exhaling into the boy's lifeless lungs. Harry's chest rose and fell. The lips felt cold beneath Ron's and he couldn't stand the fact that he was losing his best friend.

Not giving up, he brought his head up and took another gasp of air and breathed it into Harry.

This time the chest heaved and Harry coughed, forcing the breath back into Ron's mouth.

A fit of coughs ensued and Ron leaned back, wiping tears from his eyes as he watched Harry come to.

"He's alive," Ron gasped as he failed at trying to stem the tears.

Hermione brushed the hair out of Harry's eyes, smiling through her tears. Neville stood not far off, also crying.

Harry's eyes flickered open and he looked at last like he recognized his friends.

"I'm cold." he stated simply.

Ron smiled and wiped away the tears.

"Harry – don't you dare scare me like that again!"

Hermione got to her feet and walked over to the pile of objects that she had placed in the corner of the room. One of the objects was a goblet, made out of metal. Dusting it off, she walked back over to Harry and muttered a conjuring spell. A glowing blue liquid swirled into the goblet and she tilted it into Harry's mouth.

"Here, drink this," she said with a smile, and Harry gulped it down quickly. Slowly but surely, the color returned to his face. Relief settled over the room as Harry sat up on the table, rubbing his eyes.

"Wh…what happened?" he asked as he looked around. "Why's my shirt open?"

Hermione sighed.

"You just passed out, Harry."

Harry's eyes widened.

"Really?"

Hermione nodded.

"Well…hope I didn't scare you all too much," he muttered with a grin. It was hard to believe he was so calm even though he almost died. If it hadn't been for Ron…Hermione didn't know what would have happened.

Suddenly she heard footsteps coming up the stairs.

Turning, she spotted a shadow – hurrying in a blur – on the wall before she finally caught the image of the boy who was casting the shadow.

"Hermione –" Draco huffed. It was obvious he had run the whole way up to the room. His hair was messy and his forehead sported beads of sweat. "Hermione – you won't believe what I've found!"

Too absorbed with what had just happened to Harry, Hermione brushed it off.

"Draco – Harry's just passed out."

Draco – wiping sweat from his brow – tried to catch his breath.

"Harry? You alright?"

Harry, who was sitting up, gave Draco the oddest look.

"Wh…why're you being so…?"

"Look, we're stuck here in this tower. No use in being enemies, right?" Draco cut in as he placed a black box the size of his palm onto the table where Harry was now seated.

"Huh?"

Hermione glanced from the box to Draco.

"What's this?"

Draco shrugged.

"I don't know. I just found it downstairs after you left."

"_Found_ it? Where?"

"In the floor."

Neville, who had been silent for the longest time, added his own thoughts.

"What'd you do? Blast a hole through the floor?"

"Actually, no. One presented itself to me."

Hermione picked up the box and examined it.

"What is it?" Harry asked as he watched Hermione.

The box was very intricate. Tiny designs only visible when the light hit it the right ways were seen weaving around the box's exterior. Hermione was reminded of cobwebs. On the front of the box was a tiny lock, reminiscent of something Hermione had once seen in a child's fantasy book called _Alice in Wonderland_. The lock that Alice had climbed through looked about the same.

"Interesting…" her voice trailed off.

"Looks like a tiny safe." Ron added.

"It does."

All five of them were around the object held in Hermione's hands. Each of them was thinking the same thing.

"What's inside it?" Hermione muttered aloud.

This was something they all wanted to know.


	7. Lockbox

Chapter Six:

LOCKBOX

HERMIONE WASN'T SURE what was inside the box, but it was indeed intriguing. Sitting on the floor alone in a corner of the room, she held the tiny box in her hand. No larger than her palm, it was very light. Covered in spider web copper work, intricate designs flowed on its black surface, a light contrast to the darkness.

Draco came over to her after a while, wondering what Hermione was trying to do. She looked very dirty compared to earlier in the day when the five of them had first trekked down to Hagrid's Care of Magical Creatures class. Her usually springy hair was now sticking out at odd ends and crimped outward. Draco was reminded of Professor Trelawney and the thought amused him. All Hermione needed was the spectacles and the shawl.

Coming to a stop beside her, Draco towered over her sitting form. Her black Hogwarts cloak fanned out across the dusty floor and she let the box rest in her lap as she looked up. Brushing her bangs out of her eyes, they flickered up wearily due to lack of sleep.

"You okay?" he asked as he crouched down beside her, resting on his haunches.

"Yeah," she started, the faint memory of a smile appearing on her lips for a second before the corners dropped down to her neutral expression once more. "I just – can't figure this out."

She brushed her hair out of her face in frustration. Draco felt her frustration as well. The whole situation that the five of them found themselves dropped into was maddening. Just a few hours before, they had all been happily safe on the grassy lawns outside the castle and now they were abandoned on an unplotted island in the middle of the Great Lake.

Draco didn't even know that an island existed in the middle of the famous lake, but now he did. It was so far out that he couldn't see it from the shore. Perhaps there was some sort of cloaking spell on it so that only those close enough to the overgrown island could see it. Maybe Hagrid didn't know where they were because he couldn't see the tower himself. Perhaps Dumbledore didn't even know they were there.

"Why don't you get some sleep?" Draco suggested, putting a hand on her shoulder as he noticed the dark blotches of weariness beneath Hermione's straining eyes. The eyelids were looking heavy now and everyone was exhausted.

"No…no, I really want to figure this out." Hermione replied stubbornly. Draco could tell he wasn't going to be able to persuade her to leave the box.

"What do you think it is?" he asked, knowing that the question was probably futile.

Hermione shrugged and shook her head.

"I'm not sure."

There was a long pause with only the sounds of Harry and Ron's conversation accompanied by Neville's snores.

"You think they're okay?" Draco asked as he glanced back at Harry and Ron. Harry had shrugged off his old clothes and hung them up on the windowsill to dry while Ron had given him his old robe, wearing only his under-uniform for now.

"I hope so." Hermione said as she closed her eyes and rubbed them with her fingers.

Continuing to watch, Draco saw Harry grin and Ron chuckle. At least somebody was having an enjoyable time. Although Harry still appeared whiter than normal, he looked happier than earlier.

"I don't see how they can be so let down," Draco started conversationally with Hermione. "We're stuck on a flipping island and they're having a happy chat."

Hermione smiled.

"That's just the way they are. You can't tell them a situation is too bad for a conversation."

Draco shrugged.

"Guess not."

Hermione turned completely around to watch her friends.

"Neville's out like a log." she said after a few minutes of listening to his snores. He was curled up on the floor in a corner, a candle they had found close by. He hated the dark, especially when they were stranded in a strange place. The pudgy boy's chest rose and fell as he dreamed. Perhaps his dreams were more comforting than staying awake as the rest of them had chosen to do.

"Yeah." Draco muttered as he leaned against the wall, resting his head back. Hermione glanced up and noticed the way he looked, exposing his neck and beneath his chin. She had never seen him so vulnerable before. His icy blonde hair was all messy compared to usual when it was plastered back with an enchantment. His normally perfect robes were all messy – the first two buttons open on his white dress shirt and the green striped Hogwarts tie pulled loose. Then there was the way he was letting his black robe hand off his shoulders a bit, and the gigantic burn hole on the sleeve that hung down.

Draco looked up at her and smiled.

"What?"

Hermione looked away, feeling her cheeks redden as she was caught staring.

"Nothing." she muttered as she stared at the ground. The light from the torches played on the uneven stones.

Her hand was flat on the floor and she felt it brush against Draco's as he sat up. This sent goosepimples up her arm and a shiver through her spine. What was she doing? Falling for Draco?

_No way_, she thought to herself. _He's probably just being nice to me because we're going to be stuck like this for a while. He never showed interest in me before, except to make fun of my heritage._

This was all true, but was there some truth in the way Draco was acting towards her? Was it even _possible_?

_Just calm down_, she thought to herself as she crossed her arms as an excuse to get rid of the contact between her and Draco. She didn't want to look like she was hating the way they were acting – because it was definitely pleasant compared to their normal activities. But if it was all just a lie or a spur of the moment thing, she didn't want to have herself crushed beneath a twist when they all got out of this situation.

The tiny box tumbled from her lap and rolled a few times across the floor as a die would and landed with the lock side up. Light from a flickering torch above them caught the copper lock and its intricacies, and Hermione sat up suddenly.

Reaching forward, she grabbed the box and examined it.

"What?" Draco asked as he watched her pull out her wand from inside the depths of her robes.

"Watch," Hermione muttered back blandly as she waved her wand tip over the lock a few times. What looked like tiny sparkles started shooting out of the wand and began circling the interior of the lock as they had done to the door hinge down the spiral staircase. Draco wasn't sure what was going on, but he watched intently, eager to see if Hermione had managed to figure out what was going on.

Then, in one swift movement, Hermione raised her wand up in the air and brought it back down, making contact with the lock. Along with this movement, she added the word, "_Dissever_," and the lock instantly fell apart like a cluster of dirt would when a child puts pressure on it.

"What?" Draco started as he watched Hermione get to her feet.

"Everyone!" she started as the dust that was once the lock drained off in trails, floating through the air.

"Huh?" Neville started as he sat up, rubbing his eyes and knocking the candle over, which, thankfully, blew out in the process.

Harry and Ron were just going through a hand game where one makes gestures such as _wand, parchment, potion_, and stopped in mid gesture as they looked up at Hermione with Draco getting to his feet behind her.

"What is it, Hermione?" Ron asked as he sat Hermione hurry around the table to face them. She waited until Neville and Draco were included in the group before she started talking.

"Look," she started as she held up the box for all to see. It took a minute for the impact of the revelation to sink in for Harry and Ron, but Neville knew what had happened immediately.

"You got the lock off?" he started anxiously.

"Yup," Hermione started as she let them all see the box.

"So – so we can see inside it now?" Ron asked, glancing up at her from the box.

"I guess so," Hermione said as the box came back to her. She held it in her hands which were trembling from the excitement she was experiencing. "I'm going to open it. Cross your fingers that there's something in it that can help us."

Everyone did – Neville crossing each of his fingers so that his hands were a mess of tangled appendages. The tension in the room was so thick that Hermione could have sliced it with a severing charm. But, she took her time in pulling the top of the box off, swinging it on the hinge near the back until the cover was opened and the contents were displayed for all of them to see.

"Wha…" Harry started as he looked into the box.

Everyone stared, dumbfounded.

"What in the world is it?" Draco asked as he watched Hermione take it out and examine it more closely. They recognized what it was immediately after she removed it from the box, placing it on the table to get it out of the way, but they were still oblivious as to how this was going to help them make their escape from the tower.

Hermione held up the old, wrinkled packet of paper about an inch thick, bound between two covers of cracked leather.

"Looks like a book of some kind…" Hermione said as Harry took it in his hands, wanting to look at it more closely. It appeared to be damaged a little by water or some sort of moisture, probably created by the damp hole it was in for so long.

Harry glanced at each of his companions before taking the cover and flipping it open to read the first page.

"Well, what does it say?" Draco asked as he tried to look over the book from where he stood.

Harry continued to look at the page before he replied.

"_An account of the Great War between the Wizarding World and He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named_."

Everyone in the room was perplexed as they waited for Harry to read on.

"Hold on a second, it's all watery. Kind of hard to…"

His eyes scanned the page until they reached the bottom right hand corner.

"_Written by.._."

Ron was impatient.

"Go on, Harry!"

Harry looked up. Then, with determination on his face, he continued.

"_Written by the Students guarding Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry from danger and the threat of the Dark Lord_."


	8. Bleeding Words

Chapter Seven:

BLEEDING WORDS

LIGHT FROM THE flickering torches lining the walls played on Hermione's face. Lambent yellows and soft oranges highlighted the features beneath messy tangles of burghundy hair. Immersed in her own train of thought, Hermione was contemplating. Although Draco was standing in the shadows not far off, his icy blonde hair the only thing descerning him from the depths of the room, Hermione didn't notice him. Nor did she notice her other three friends who were just as intrigued surrounding her on all sides.

Pondering thoughts flashed through her mind like a reel on a film projector. What in the world is a place like this doing on the grounds of Hogwarts? One of the largest Wizarding facilities in the world? It didn't make sense to Hermione. None of it did. Something was wrong, and the feeling of butterflies making a nest in her stomach fluttered over her swiftly. She swallowed to try to stem the feeling, but this did nothing besides remind her that she hadn't eaten in a while and the taste of her own saliva wasn't pleasing while she was thirsty.

Holding the tiny book in her hands, Hermione examined it with the other four looking over her shoulder. Normally this pestered Hermione - being one of her pet peeves, but now she found the ability to block out the onlookers. Harry was still seated on the top of the table with Ron standing beside him, hand in place behind him, making sure nothing happened to cause his friend more pain. The last thing we need is another episode, Hermione thought to herself, still trying to shake the image of Harry lying unconscious from her memory, but it seemed etched there permanently. Neville was standing beside Hermione, looking just as interested as Hermione felt.

"What does it say?" Harry asked as he ran his fingers through his hair. Although it was naturally messy, there were areas like the side of his bangs that were sticking up abnormally where his weight had pressed the locks in place. All attempts at fixing the problem were short lived.

Hermione pursed her lips and shook her head.

"Unbelievable..." she muttered to herself. "Look at all this."

The title page was hastily written in a flowery script. Old was the paper and a person had even dog-eared one of the pages later on in the volume (something Madame Pince would have frowned on). Hermione couldn't tell if the handwriting was feminine or masculine, but she guessed at first glance, flipping through the pages, that it was a mixture. Perhaps it wasn't handwritten at all. Maybe there was a spell that allowed the holder of the book to transcribe their thoughts and recollections onto the page. But, then again, there were pensieves for that...

"It seems to be about the use of this tower...and...I can't really decipher some of the writing..." Large smears where water had dripped into the page from an unknown source smeared the ink into blotchy designs.

Draco stepped foward and held out his hand for the journal. At first, everyone thought Hermione wouldn't give up the book, but to much surprise she graciously handed it off after looking seriously at a page for a few more seconds. Still, she couldn't make it out.

"Maybe I can figure it out..." Draco started to the room as he scanned the page quickly. Talking more to himself than to the others present, Draco pondered. "Hmm...the writing's all scratchy. Probably written with a quill...but some of the words are messy. No ink on some letters...just scratches. It's like...like the ink just sort of...sort of ran out. Interesting... Do you want me to read it out loud?"

Everyone chorused a unanimous YES and Draco gave a half-hearted grin, his eyes flickering back to the page. He was stopped halfway through and something caused his features to lock up in interest. Deep furrows appeared where his eyebrows knotted together and he held the book a bit closer to his face.

After a moment, Harry started.

"What's the matter? Can't you figure out what it says?"

Draco started as though awoken from a deep dream.

"Huh? I - no, no it's not that. I can - I can read it fine."

Nervous laughter mixed in with these words and his eyebrows raised in disbelief. This lasted only an instant and then they were back to being knitted.

Hermione stepped forward.

"Want me to read it for you?"

Glancing up, Draco shrugged his shoulders, continuing to grip the book as though it were something dangerous.

"I - fine. I'll read it. Just - just relax, okay?"

Hermione looked a bit startled, but stepped back to stand with the other three and nodded.

"Okay."

Shifting his weight back and forth from leg to leg, Draco prepared for about a second before starting to read.

"Here goes nothing...October 17th,

"Professor Dippet showed me a way to do this properly, as he puts it, so I thought I'd give it a go. Stupid thing, really. I swear this whole journal log thing is just his way of making sure you don't slack off. Damned thing takes more time to write than watching out for You-Know-Who does.

"It's late. Later than it has been. Although it's usually dark out when I make my way here - hasn't been this late at all. I swear I was pulled from my nice warm bed in the Gryffindor Common Room for this because some Nancy Pants Second Year whimped out. Don't really blame them, but again, I've been doing this the past three nights. I know Dippet reads this stuff, but seriously, I don't care too much if he doesn't like what I'm writing. Not doing too much himself up in the nice, warm castle. I can make out the lights faintly from here. The Intensifier is off right now, so I don't have the crispest look at the building.

"Nothing's happened in a few days now. When Johnson last spotted the Dementor trying to travel around the Lake's Eastern side, that's the last something exciting happened. Now it's all just spotting Owls and taking tallies of Fruit Bats in the area. Not really sure how that matters, but then again, I heard You-Know-Who's been using creatures all over to do his bidding. Has some way with them - kind of mesmerizes them into thinking that he's their creator. McGinley thought it was rubbish, but me and Cyr really put some thought into it and we've agreed that there's at least a bit good in tallying.

"That's who's with me, actually. Cyr. Great friend. Just met her this year, but she's in my House so I think I can trust her more than others. Some of these people here, I don't know. They just seem to have other plans going on. Their bodies are here at Hogwarts and their wands are at their classes, but their minds are somewhere else. Not real healthy during these times. Even though I'm Six Year, I know enough not to let my guard down. There was that thing in the Prophet about the girl from Durmstrang who was under the Imperious curse. Almost blew her whole entire dorm up while they were sleeping. It's all to do with terror now. How much can the Dark Lord - (dare I even refer to him as that) - toy with our fears?

"Anyway...I did actually have something of importance to write. You should know me by now, trusty journal. Once you give me a quill and paper, my opinion just comes and there's nothing to stop it except a purpose. And thankfully for you, I have one tonight. It was just today in classes that we learned about Inferi - disgusting thing - when Cyr poked me in the ribs. Normally I just brush her off because Professors are just dying for you to do something that subtracts House points. But I noticed that she was holding something in her hand. When she dropped it onto my desk - seeing as I was right beside her - it was a note.

"Folded neatly, it was not at all unnormal. But when I opened it, I saw what was written and it scared me half to death. Something in her eyes told me she wasn't kidding, and I knew she wouldn't lie to me or anything, so I trusted. But, the note was really different from what I normally am used to.

"Turns out she knows the whole story about what happened with the Chamber of Secrets. It happened a long time ago, before I even knew I was Magic at all. But, she says that the incident links to You-Know-Who. I don't know, but that just seems to make sense, doesn't it? The Heir of Slytherin and all. I mean - who else could it be, right? And she wrote that she knows someone who was around then. When I asked her after class who this person was, she didn't say. But, I caught her tonight writing in a book she brought along.

"Knowing Cyr, she doesn't write a journal besides this one once in a while and what she was writing in - some ancient looking book - couldn't have been her own personal book. And she paused a lot between scratches as though she were reading what she wrote intensively. I mean - something's up. When I try to get a good look at it, she snaps it shut and stowes it somewhere. I don't know. Fishy...to say the least. I'll have to let someone know about the book. Then again, don't know how long she's going to hold onto it. She's been hinting that the book is supposed to be given to someone. Don't know who. See - not that knowledgeable after all. Probably nothing. Just something to write about, that's all.

"Anyway, got to go. I heard a crash from across the lake and think it might be Peeves again doing something stupid. Maybe I'll knock some House Points back into our tube for a change.

"Yours Most Sincerely and Always..."

Draco looked up, not reading off the page. His lips froze and he licked them hastily.

The anxiousness in the room could have been sliced with a severing charm and Hermione's eyes were wide with anticipation. Still it was a few moments before Draco went on.

"Who was it?" Ron asked, glancing at Harry who wanted to know just as much.

Draco gulped and then went on to finish the name.

"Frank Longbottom."

Draco's eyes flicked up to look at Neville who had been cowering away for a while. But at the mention of his father's name, he snapped to life immediately. Rushing forward, he ripped the book from Draco's hand and his eyes raped the page.

"No way!" he exclaimed as he read the script. "No...no way..."

Sadness crept into his voice. Where there was surprise at first, now there was pain that none of the others had seen in Neville before. None of them knew where Neville's parents were - never spoken of or mentioned. The boy lived with his ancient but caring Gran, and that was all they had ever cared to know. Nobody pried into the history of people at Hogwarts. At least, if they knew what was good for them.

Hermione immediately hurried forward, attempting to comfort her sobbing friend while Ron took the book from Neville before he damaged it worse than it already was.

"It's okay...Neville..."

Neville was shaking his head.

"No, it's not okay, Hermione." he pressed out. "I - that's the first - the first time I've ever..."

His voice trailed off as he wiped the tears from his eyes as more just continued to erupt over his eyelids. Trails made their way down his cheeks.

"Don't...please don't cry..."

Neville covered his face in his hands.

"S-sorry..." he started, his voice muffled through his palms. "It's just...just a personal thing. You know...hearing my Dad's voice for the first time...in forever, it feels..."

None of them knew what Neville was talking about. Surely this wasn't the first time his father had ever talked to him? They'd known each other longer than that...before his Gran took him. They didn't know why, of course. Harry had always believed it was because Neville's parents had died somehow. But how long ago that was, they could only guess.

"Maybe we should just put it down for now..." Hermione suggested as she glanced at Ron with a stern look behind Neville's back.

"Huh?" he started. It took a moment to sink in. "Oh...oh yeah. Right."

Handing the book off to Harry, the boy stowed it beneath his covering of robes so that Neville didn't have to look at it any longer. Something was going on inside their friend that they couldn't comprehend and didn't want to provoke any more.

After a while, Neville's crying was stemmed and Hermione went over to the corner where he had been sleeping and sat with him, keeping an arm around his shoulders protetctively. Everyone else remained where they were.

Darkness crept over the tower and only the light from the torches allowed the group a look at what was around them. It wasn't much, but the ability to see what they were trapped in gave some sort of comfort.

Draco made his way over to the window after a while, and resting his palms on the rough stone sill, leaned out.

There was something different to the outside that he couldn't pinpoint. There was no breeze and when he glanced up at the sky, there were no moon or stars. As Frank Longbottom had put it in the journal, 'Fishy...'

But everyone was going to sleep. No time to inform them of his wonderings.

Remaining at the sill, Draco decided he wasn't going to sleep. His mind was too full of thoughts and ponderings to settle anyway.


	9. Interlude I

Interlude I

_Hogwarts, A History_

_an excerpt from the volume at Hogwarts School_

Being a Record of the Magical Institution residing in Britain

At a Legal Wizarding Meeting of the Wizengamot of Britain, April 8, 1857, it was voted to purchase two hundred and seventy-five copies of the following History, when published, for general distribution through the Wizarding Community.

First settlement of Wizards in the area commenced in the Winter of 1751 and 2 - by Daedalus Virgil and Son.

Incorporated as the Sanctuary of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry - March 17, 1758.

* * *

HISTORY

* * *

EXPLORATION 

The Wizard, a person of Magical origins or otherwise a person adopted into the profession and lifestyle taken by someone of Wizarding backgroung, first discovered the plot of land on which Hogwarts currently resides back in 1751. A year of great famish and loss for the Muggles, the Wizards found themselves in a hardship of their own. Not only were the Owls refusing to fly in the frigid weather so uncommon for the Winter, but all communication was stunted aside from Apparation.

Finding himself as well as his family in dire need of a place to stay with no hope at any of the lodgings of the area (for they were all boarded up or otherwise completely packed), Daedalus Virgil took his family which consisted of his son Dante Virgil, his wife and partner Jeanette Rivers, and his daughter Celuise Virgil into the wilderness of Britain to try and find some land to claim as their own.

Snow was at the record when the family trudged out from Surrey, trying as best they could to refrain from using Magic with the Muggles so close to them. The King of the Muggles had set out an order to stop Witchcraft from being practiced among Muggles, and the Wizarding community found itself closer and closer to being persecuted by the law.

Ministry officials from the Ministry of Magic advised that all Wizards and Magical Persons remain indoors, but Virgil heeded not this warning. Being proud and arrogant for his age which was that of 55, Virgil found himself and his family completely lost.

In the woods with nowhere else to go and no Muggle buildings in sight, Virgil took out his wand and lit a fire on a nearby cherry bush, frozen in the wind and howling snow. It was there that the grounds of Hogwarts School were first discovered. The bush which was beside the Great Lake now stands as a memorial in the Ministry of Magic office Plaza 10 on the 3rd Floor.

PROPRIETORSHIP

There are two people who laid claim on the land presently known as the Hogwarts Grounds. The first of the two was a Witch by the name of Rowena Ravenclaw. Daedalus Virgil, unhappy with the land he was living on and the sheer size, sold the land to two people. Splitting it up into two equal halves, Virgil sold the first half of the land closest to the Great Lake to Ravenclaw. Interested heavily in building a facility on the property, Ravenclaw was delighted when the transaction took place back in 1757.

The second person interested in purchasing the land, the second half where the school facility currently sits before the Lake, was Salazar Slytherin. Known throughout the community as a Wizard wanting to make something of himself and bring the name of Wizard and Witch to its proper height in the world, Slytherin also wished to build something on the land.

To great surprise, the two were joined by their close friends from school, Helga Hufflepuff and Godric Gryffindor, and the four proceeded to construct a completely magical facility. Using a combination of construction and enchantment spells, the four constructed Hogwarts School.

PROTECTIONARY ACTS

Due to the swift rise in threatening individuals, Hogwarts Officials voted on the creation of "safe havens" where students could keep watch for danger. Many of these are not recorded and their whereabouts are not known. All protectionary havens have been shut down since the fall of the Dark Lord.

End Interlude I


	10. Lingering in Time

Chapter Eight:

LINGERING IN TIME

_This chapter is for all the friends I've met so far in my college experience. You've all made my life so much happier and not as lonely as it has been. This chapter is also for Justin. He gave me the notebook so I could begin again._

Harry rested his head back down on the folded cloaks Hermione had provided. The thick material was still damp from his soaked hair, but Harry was thankful for the comfort anyway. Chills that had ripped their way through his body earlier in the evening were now gone and he could finally relax.

Ron was seated beside Harry, his hands folded upon the wood of the table. Sleep had not yet overtaken him, however his eyes appeared heavy. Harry wondered how much longer his comrade would remain awake.

"Tired?" Harry muttered softly. Ron's drooping eyelids flickered for a minute before his hand came up to cover them.

A grunt came from Ron's chest and his lips stretched into a forced smile.

"Didn't want you left awake alone."

Harry smiled.

"It's nice to know that you care, but you don't have to stay up for me."

The broad, bony shoulders hidden beneath Ron's uniform shrugged in a stretch. Harry could tell he was exhausted.

"You think I'm doing this for you," Ron monotoned. This made Harry glance up. The Ron he saw sitting back in the chair beside him seemed older – more mature than the Ron he saw only a day before. His eyes were aimed at Harry, yet his gaze seemed to go through him.

An awkward silence followed this as Harry's eyes remained locked on Ron. The boy with flaming red hair let out a shuddering sigh before beginning again.

"Harry...I need to talk. There are some things building up inside me that I need to let out."

These words were not what Harry expected to hear, but he listened anyway.

"Okay...this is hard for me to talk about. I know already that you're going to take it th wrong way, but it has to be said for me to go on."

"Alright. I'm listening."

Ron's eyes locked on Harry's and another douse of silence rippled through the room.

"Harry," Ron began slowly. "I care about you. We've been friends ever since that first train ride on the Hogwarts Express. Seeing you...lying there helpless...it was almost too much for me to handle."

Harry watched as Ron started to shudder. Not wanting to see his friend upset, Harry put a hand on Ron's shoulder.

"Ron – it's okay. We're going to get through this. We'll get off this island."

Ron's eyes glanced back at Harry's with a touch of doubt.

"Will we?"

Harry nodded.

"I'm positive we will."

Ron turned his head to look out the window. It was almost impossible to see anything with all the darkness settled.

"I'm not so sure, Harry." Ron muttered under his breath. There was something in his eyes that told Harry what was brewing in his mind. His lips twitched as if in reaction to his pondering.

"Ron, what's going on?"

"Hm?"

"What're you thinking about? I'm tired of guessing everything that you guys think."

Ron shifted in his seat, resting his chin in his hand.

"It's not... I'm not trying to hide what I think. It's just that they're...they're scaring the hell out of me." His eyes settled on the ground before he finished. "I don't want them to scare you too."

"They're already scaring me."

Another douse of silence.

"Harry, I've got this weird feeling. You know the one like butterflies deep in your stomach?"

"Yeah?"

"Well...at first I thought it was just my nerves – you know. Being in a strange place. The fear of not being able to go home. But now, something's wrong. I mean – we're trapped here."

"I'm sure there's a –"

"Don't – Harry. Let me finish."

Harry settled back and reluctantly let Ron continue.

"Harry, look outside."

"Ron, I _have_ been looking outside."

"No, Harry."

Ron held out his hand and motioned for Harry to take it. Harry wasn't sure what to make of it. But, he gripped Ron's hand and watched as his friend helped him off the table.

The stone floor was cold on his now bare feet (Hermione advised him to let his shoes dry), but he still took the few uneasy steps towards the open window. Dizziness abounded, but this was something he felt he could overcome.

With Ron beside him, Harry looked out the window.

"Look, Harry. Really look and tell me what you see."

Harry felt awkward doing this at first, but took a moment – fists rested on the sill – and gazed out into the night.

After a few moments Ron started in again.

"Now tell me."

"Well..." Harry stalled. He didn't see what was so irregular or significant about the night, so he started listing the obvious points.

"I see...the lake. Um... The castle in the distance. The stadium –"

"Go back."

Harry stopped. A bit confused, he looked over at Ron.

"Huh?"

"Go back. You said you saw the lake. Describe it for me."

Feeling uneasy, he began.

"Well...it's rippling out because I can see the light of the moon on it –"

"There. Stop."

Harry rolled his eyes.

"Ron, what's this all about?"

Taking his two fingers, Ron pointed out the window towards the lake.

"See the waves?"

Harry did indeed see the waves.

"Yes...and...?"

"Are they moving?"

Harry froze.

"Wait a second – you're saying –"

"Exactly. Look closer at the waves, Harry."

Leaning halfway out the window, Harry observed that Ron was correct. The waves – though present – did not appear to be moving as they should.

"They aren't moving, are they?" Ron muttered under his breath.

Harry didn't want to believe it. "No – it's probably a trick of the light or something."

"No, it can't be. That's what I thought so too at first."

"So – we're frozen?"

The idea seemed too complex for Harry and he still didn't completely understand.

"It seems so." Ron replied. "Something's going on, Harry. Something's happened to our geographical clock. I just...I just don't know what."

This made thoughts and ideas tornado through Harry's mind.

"Then – Ron, can...do you mean to say that...can Wizards stop time?"

Ron made no body gestures to support this.

"I've never heard of this before. But, who's to say it doesn't exhist?"

Both were in the dark. Harry most of all because Ron knew a bit more about the Wizarding world.

"But," Ron began, breaking the silence that had followed. "The question is...are we the ones frozen, or is the rest of the world frozen?"


	11. Day One

_This chapter is for my roommate, Mike. What would I do without you there?_

Chapter Nine:

DAY ONE

HERMIONE STOOD AT the windowsill, arms folded, gazing out at the world beyond their dark confines. Something was wrong. She could feel it in her gut, as though butterflies were making a nest within her. Each flutter sent jolts up her body. The only thing that seemed to get rid of the surges of anxiety was breathing deeply. Tugging at her very messy hair, the smartest Wizard in her class cleared her eyes to think.

Ron and Harry were seated together against the far wall, out of the sun. Neither of them attained much sleep their first night on the island. Ron admitted before dozing that he had come to a conclusion. In a slower voice than usual, the tired boy told Hermione about his suspicions of a time occurance. It made Hermione wonder, were they really trapped in a time warp?

Gazing off into the sky, Hermione could see what Ron was pointing out. There were four dark specs lingering in the air. Ron was certain they were birds. Hermione came up with a different conclusion: they were the hippogriffs.

If she was counting correctly, there were four of the flying creatures. The fifth, which was Buckbeak, was still perched atop the tower. Was he frozen? This was what Hermione was trying to grasp. How was time cutting them off from the rest of the world?

A hand on her shoulder startled Hermione out of her musings. She turned to see Draco beside her. He took a step back in surprise to her statlement.

"Hermione – sorry! Didn't mean to startle you."

Hermione tugged her hair behind her ear and sighed out the feelings of dread within her chest.

"It's okay," she started, turning back to the window. "I was just lost in my thoughts, as all."

Draco smiled.

"I could tell."

There was a moment of silence between the two before Hermione began to talk. She hadn't vented her frustrations in a while. Now seemed as good a time as any to let _somebody_ know what she was thinking.

"This doesn't make sense," she muttered to herself, shaking her head. "Does it make sense to you?"

Draco shrugged.

"It was never formally explained to me."

Hermione continued to play with her hair in an attempt to give her hands something to do.

"This time packet...I mean, we're stuck here, right?"

"I'd say so," Draco answered.

"But, how did all this happen? How were we able to get _into_ the time warp, but now we can't get _out_?"

She took out her wand and rubbed off the dust with her robes. An intricate carving of designs wove its way down the shaft until they tapered off to the handle.

"What're you doing, Hermione?" Draco asked as Hermione motioned for him to step back. The last time Hermione tried a spell in the tower, Draco had ended up with the sleeve of his robes on fire and his arm burning. He was quite eager to step away.

"You watch," Hermione said plainly, stepping into an attack stance before the window; one foot in front, the other behind, and one arm, her wand arm, outstretched as though she were sword fighting an invisible foe. "I'm going to try something."

"I can see," Draco added with a nervous grin. "Just – don't blow us up, okay?"

Hermione rolled her eyes and glanced over her shoulder at Draco.

"That time before was just a fluke."

Draco held the hole in his sleeve nervously as Hermione cleared her throat. Then, in one breath, she stated the spell.

A gigantic blue ball of flames erupted out of Hermione's wand and shot out the window and into the sky. It was almost like a distress signal for help, though no one would probably see it.

Hermione motioned for Draco to join her at the window. Draco shook his head.

"Come on!" Hermione insisted, so Draco reluctantly obliged.

Outside the window, the ball of flame shot outwards, directed towards the sky. Draco held his breath as he watched. What was going to happen this time?

As they watched, the ball of flames flattened as if it were running into something. The flames turned a violent shade of red and then disappeared into thin air.

Hermione glanced down and tugged her hair behind her ear.

"Odd..." she began softly to herself. "It all seems to make sense...and yet..."

Draco looked over at her.

"What?"

Hermione seemed to snap out of a dream and glanced over at him.

"Well, it's simple, really." she began. "When we followed Harry down on the island, we flew into a time pocket."

Draco blinked.

"And that is...?"

"That is a small section of a place surrounded by a magical boundary, making all objects and people within the boundaries of that area invisible to those in the outer world."

It took a moment to soak it all in, but finally it began to make sense.

"So...everyone at school can't see us?"

Hermione shook her head.

"No. It's strange...the outer world appears to have stopped somehow. This usually doesn't occur because it disrupts the flow of time. The time in the outside world should slow, but not stop entirely."

"So...this is bad?" Draco asked, feeling the twinge of fear in his stomach.

"Not necessarily. It's just...I've never heard of it before. I mean, I've read about how to make these sorts of magical boundaries. It's a very complicated procedure, to be sure. I've heard that advanced students do so well with time management because they can create a time pocket around their dorm room and study for hours, while in reality, the outside world beyond their pocket of time has only passed a few minutes."

"This was almost too complicated for Draco to comprehend.

"But – Hermione, doesn't that pose a bunch of problems? If the people in the time bubble thing are aging more than those outside, wouldn't this be harmful to their health and biological clockwork?"

Hermione shrugged.

"I suppose if you spend more than a few days in the pocket, it could mess up your living."

"A few days..." Draco muttered. Then, he thought of something. "If time outside has stopped, how does the sun and moon still continue to rotate?"

"Huh?"

Draco was never the best at explaining himself, so took a breath and began again.

"If time outside has stopped, how are we still experiencing night and day?"

Hermione began almost immediately after Draco's last word.

"Well – it's not an authentic day and night. It's magically constructed so that we can measure the time while in the pocket."

"And how do we get out?" Draco went on. "If students are able to get into time pockets, how do they get out?"

"Well, usually by just walking, I suppose," Hermione started. "But, something's wrong with this. Somebody must have done something to this particular time pocket since its creation to stop people from getting out."

"You mean there's no other way out of here except that door downstairs?"

"There's always apparition, but we don't know how to do that yet."

"It probably wouldn't work here anyway." Draco added. "We're too close to the grounds."

"Mm-hm."

A douse of silence followed as each mulled over their own thoughts. Finally, Hermione broke the silence, voicing what they both were thinking.

"I don't know. I just don't know."

Suddenly they were startled out of their moment by a shout echoing up the spiral staircase.

"HEY! GUYS! GET DOWN HERE, QUICKLY!"

Against the wall, Harry was startled awake, and jumped, causing Ron to do the same. Both, clinging to each other in an attempt to comfort one another, looked at each other nervously.

"Was I -" Harry started in a higher tone than normal.

Ron cut in.

"No – It's fine -"

Hermione chuckled and started briskly to the stairs and began walking down them. The person who had yelled was Neville.

"Neville -" Hermione called down the stairs, allowing a moment before beginning again as the echoing died. "What's going on?"

Neville's voice sounded shaky and uneven as it replied up the stairs.

"I think I've found something -" he called out to Hermione and the other three who followed. Harry and Ron were close behind Hermione, and Draco stood considerably back, not wanting to be scathed by whatever Neville had found.

As they neared the bottom, it was clear that what Neville had found wasn't something alive. It also wasn't something apparently dangerous either. At least, not at that very moment.

"Neville!" Hermione began as she walked forwards. "How in the world -?"

They were standing before a gigantic archway that they had ever seen before. It was pressed out of the wall adjacent to the wooden entrance door they'd all walked through earlier the day before. Two torches framed the archway in intricate sconces, one on the right, and one on the left. Beyond the archway was a long corridor, unlit, that faded into a pitch black darkness.

"I swear – I touched nothing!" Neville whimpered as he stepped as far back as he could. "I just found it here."

Hermione walked up to the archway to examine it more closely.

"I can't believe it..." she muttered to herself. "It makes no sense..."

Ron walked past her.

"It makes perfect sense." he said confidently as he strode into the entrance of the corridor. "This is our way out."

Harry walked forward this time.

"No – Ron," he began, gripping his friend by the arm and pulling him away from the entrance. "Don't be stupid. This seems to be too coincidental -"

"Coincidental?" Ron shot back. "We probably just didn't notice it here until now because of the dark."

"But, Ron," Hermione started. "What about the torches? Surely we would've noticed them?"

"Neville -" Ron started, and Neville jumped at the mention of his name. "You lit the torches just now, right?"

Neville shook his head feverishly.

"No – I'm not good enough with my wand for that."

"Then who lit these torches?" Ron asked.

"Nobody."

Everyone stopped to look at Draco, who was standing against the wall.

"Huh?" Ron replied.

"It's obvious that nobody lit the torches." Draco concluded. "Don't you see?"

Ron made a confused expression. "No. That's impossible."

"Is it?" Draco retorted. "Since we've been here, strange things have been happening. Things even we can't explain. How come we didn't even know this tower existed until we happened upon it, by chance?"

He shifted his stance, and took a breath.

"It's my suspicion that this tower is playing games with us."

Ron looked confused.

"But, it's just a tower, right? How can a tower be playing tricks on us?"

Draco shrugged.

"I don't know. But it is, isn't it?" This seemed more of a statement than a question.

A chill seemed to run through the room. Everything was quiet, except for an unmistakable sound coming from deep within the corridor.

"Do you hear that?" Harry asked.

Ron nodded.

"Sounds like wind."

Ron watched as Harry nodded.

"Exactly," Harry replied.

"It must be a way out," Ron continued, taking one of the torches out of its sconce and stepping back into the corridor. "Why not see if it is? At least we can always come back afterwards."

Hermione had an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach about this.

"I don't know..." she began. "What if we get lost?"

"In a corridor?" Ron retorted. "You can stay here if you like," he began as he started walking down the long stretch, "but, I'm going."

"Wait -" Harry called out, hurrying to catch up with Ron. "I'm coming too."

Neville quickly followed.

"I'm going as well!"

This left Draco and Hermione to stand in the tower.

Draco glanced over at Hermione with an expression of unease. It was almost a visual of what Hermione was feeling.

"Do you want to follow?" he asked softly, staring into her eyes as though he could read them. "Because, if you want to stay...I'll stay with you."

Hermione felt an unease in full force this time. What would she do if something happened to Ron and Harry if she wasn't there to help them? But, what if something happened to all of them as she wasn't able to save them?

Finally, she concluded that she was being stupid and rolled her eyes.

"I'll go."

Draco nodded and grabbed the second torch off the wall. He walked ahead of her to light the way and turned back when Hermione wasn't following.

"You sure you want to do this?" he asked as he watched her.

Hermione nodded and walked briskly towards Draco. Each step felt that it took an eternity. But, finally, Hermione took the last step to get to Draco, and she left the tower behind.


	12. Into the Deep

Chapter Ten:

INTO THE DEEP

THEY WALKED FOR what felt like hours down a musty corridor. Every now and then Hermione would slip on the damp floor and brush against the stone of the wall, grimacing at the slimy filament that rubbed off on her robes. This was the last place she expected to be. Over and over she imagined the warm fires of the Gryffindor Common Room, a tall pint of Butterbeer, and a plate of scones. Her stomach growled and she licked her lips one last time before she crossed her arms tightly over her stomach.

"You okay?" someone asked behind her.

"Hm?" she glanced over her shoulder. Ron walked behind her with a stern look on his face, almost looking like he'd been beaten with all the dirt covering his pale features.

"You haven't really said much since we started walking," Ron fixed his eyes on her and she felt uncomfortable for a moment before replying.

"I don't really have much to talk about."

Ron nodded and his eyes flicked to the right, looking past her towards Draco.

"And you're not being bothered?"

She almost stopped walking, a creeping, tingly feeling making its way down her legs to her feet. But she didn't stop. She kept forcing one foot in front of the other and tried her best not to look at Draco. This was no time for trivial fights, but there seemed to be nothing within her power that would defer the hatred between the boys, even in these small confines.

"I'm doing just fine," she tucked her hair behind her ear and reached into the pocket of her robes, clutching her wand, feeling the smooth finish of it beneath her fingers.

Ron raised his eyebrows and looked away to the side, almost down at the floor.

"All right," he said, putting his own hands in his pockets. "Just wanted to make sure. You can do what you want, but I just want you to know, if you need help, I'll be there. No matter what."

Draco seemed to catch that last bit up ahead and looked down at the floor, even though with the dark it was useless to do so. Everything was so dark down here, and Hermione hated it. She wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible, but who knew how far down the passageway would go?

* * *

Before long they spotted something up ahead.

"Look," Harry's voice echoed off the walls and he held up his wand until the light reached as far back as it could.

"Oh great," Neville stopped immediately and Draco nearly crashed into him.

"Watch it!" he jumped back as far as he could, almost as if the mere thought of touching the skittish boy would infect him. But then he noticed what was up ahead and his shoulders slumped. "What the hell is this?"

Water. Lots of water. It looked like the tunnel went deeper, almost down a steep decline, and the way was filled with glassy, black water. It reminded Draco of a story he read once about how the pyramids in Egypt were set up to discourage grave robbers. He wouldn't be surprised to find spikes or sharp objects or even a solid wall beneath the serene cover of water.

"What are we going to do now?" Neville asked, standing against the wall.

"I don't think we have much of a choice," Harry crouched at the edge of the water, his hand hovering just above its surface. Specks of light glinted off the water from the group's wands. He looked back at Hermione. "Any ideas?"

Hermione didn't have a clue. And that was saying something because usually she had ideas for everything. Every book she ever read, every spell she ever studied, pretty much anything she'd learned over the past three years was always at her disposal, ready to be used in any situation. But now her mind was blank. She tried to think of some enchantment, some _something_ that would solve their problem, but she had nothing.

"I don't know," she said, reaching her hand up to her face and taking her wand out of her robes with the other. "There must be something I can use, but..."

"Wait a minute," Harry looked up. "I just thought of something."

The group waited with baited breath until he spoke again.

"How much oxygen do you think we have?"

"Oh no," Draco covered his eyes with his hand while Neville started gasping furiously.

"I can't breathe!" he spluttered. "I need to get out of here -"

"Neville, shut it!" Ron shoved him and looked around at all of them. "Nice one, Harry. Now we _really_ aren't going to get out of here without Neville dying of pure spinelessness."

Neville stopped gasping and frowned.

"Hey - come on. I'm not _that_ wimpy!"

"Yeah?" Ron had a dead stare on his face. "You could have fooled me. We need to keep our heads cool here. There's no way we're going to get out of here if we panic and lose it. Especially when we have wands at our disposal. You all clearly have never read about the Sullivans."

"Wait, what?" Hermione started. "The Sullivans? What are you talking about?" This was a story she had never heard about. And she considered herself well-read in all the magical history books that Hogwarts provided.

"Yeah. It's not a book you can find at Hogwarts," Ron swallowed and looked away. "Dad told me about it when I was younger. It's one of those stories that you tell your kids so that they don't mess around with wands when they get into a jam."

Hermione blinked. "Wait, I think I heard about this..."

"A family of wizards went on a vacation to the Grampians. They were going to camp there for a few days, and it was the father's first week off in two years. He worked for the Ministry. Well, one of the kids thought it would be a good idea to explore a cavern they found, and surprise, surprise - the family got lost somewhere deep inside a network of underground caves. With no food or water, the family soon became frantic. When they thought that there was no chance of survival, the father took out his wand in a fit of insanity and murdered all of the family members before turning on himself."

The group was silent for a long while after Ron finished.

"We have to stay calm," Ron said, looking down at the water. "That's out only way out of this."

There was nothing but the sound of the water against the stone walls for a while until Draco walked knee-high into the water.

"Malfoy, what're you -" Harry started, but Draco didn't stop until he was waist deep in the water, his robes soaking up the blackness and spreading out around his legs.

"There's only one way to find out what's under the water," he said, looking at Hermione primarily. "That's to swim under this water and see what's on the other side."

"What about holding your breath?" Ron started. "That tunnel could go for miles."

"Miles?" Draco chuckled. "Really? I don't think whoever or whatever built this tunnel was _that _determined. I'll be fine."

"And we're just supposed to stay here and wait for you?" Hermione asked. She felt a chill run down her spine at the thought and tried to shake it off quickly.

"Either that or you can follow me. I don't think we have much choice. We can't really go back. There's nothing to really go back to."

And with that he waded further into the water until it was up to his shoulders.

"Wait a minute," Hermione said, hurrying forward. She held her wand up and reached for Draco's hand. "Give me your hand."

Draco stared at her for a moment with a look that was neither curious or upset, just tranquil, and slowly held out his hand to her. She took it in hers and circled the tip of her wand around his wrist, and to everyone's surprise, what looked like a shining, silver rope appeared, growing out of the wand. She didn't stop until there was a large stretch of rope going from Draco's wrist to her wand.

"When you make it to the other side, give this a tug. If you...okay, this is going to sound like a crappy movie -"

"- What's a movie -" Draco started, but Hermione wasn't listening.

"- Give the line a tug twice if you get stuck on something and we'll try to pull you back."

Draco nodded, but he still didn't know what a movie was.

He took as much air into his lungs as he could. Once. Twice. Three times he expanded his lungs until it felt like he couldn't possibly take in any more air, and then he dove under the water.

Everything was pitch black beneath the water. Draco kicked off from the slope where he started and swam down along the corridor, feeling his way down with a hand against the wall. The weight of his robes became too much, and the edges kept getting caught in his legs, so he shrugged off the thick Hogwarts robes and let them float up to the surface. His eyes ached. It was almost as if there were some sort of algae floating in the water.

He waved his wand and a light came on, shining ahead of him so he could see the way, if only a bit more clearly.

Suddenly he bumped into something. Reaching out his hands he felt the hard stone surface of a wall in front of him.

Dammit, he thought. Now I really am stuck. What was the point of having a tunnel if it went nowhere?

But then he noticed that the particles in the water were moving upwards. Looking towards the ceiling he noticed that the tunnel jutted upwards ninety degrees, so he kicked off from the floor of the tunnel and started up. It was about this time that he felt his lungs start to ache from holding his breath.

There was a light, very faint, but a light nonetheless, and after a minute or so of kicking, feeling weaker and weaker every moment, Draco broke the surface of the water.

He gasped. Old, stale air left his mouth and new, cold air filled its place. He treaded water there for a few minutes as he felt life re-enter his limbs. If it had been any longer under the water, he wouldn't have been able to make it.

Then, after recuperating, he looked around him.

He surfaced in what looked like an underground chamber deep beneath Hogwarts. The walls reminded him of the dungeons, and he noticed an archway at the far end of the barren room. This portal was blocked off by a door of iron bars with spikes that reached down to the bottom of the doorway.

But it wasn't the doorway that really caught his attention. It was the man who was standing in front of the doorway that caused him to gasp and move back towards the wall.

"Well, hello there," the towering man said through his mane of black hair. "Welcome to the nightmare."


	13. Stygian State

Chapter Eleven:

STYGIAN STATE

THE MAN TOWERED over Draco, nearly covered completely with thick, ebony hair. His eyes looked like tiny black beetles and they shone brightly in the light of the lantern he bore. He didn't move, instead rather, stood far back against the corner where he had to tilt his head to keep from smacking it into the stone braces that criss-crossed this way and that about the dungeon.

"The Dark Lord told me that nobody would come through this way," the man's deep voice echoed against the walls. In two seconds he strode across the dungeon and grabbed Draco by the neck, his hand large enough to reach completely around, and Draco found himself stretching his chin upwards to keep from being suffocated by the man. He cried out in splutters as he was lifted out of the water and dangled above the floor.

"Where did you come from?" the giant asked.

"I - I c-came -" Draco squeezed his eyes shut. Everything seemed to go numb, his legs, fingers, and even his nose felt like they didn't exist. He gripped the man's wrist, thick enough to be a grown man's thigh, and tried to hold himself up to keep his skull from becoming disconnected from his neck. "Down the end of the t-tunnel."

He tried to swallow, but the pressure on his throat was too great so he ended up gagging on himself.

"You're a liar," the man breathed and Draco smelled dead fish and mucous. "That tunnel's been blocked off for more than a year. Where did you come from! Apparate?"

"Apparate under water?" Draco was in disbelief. Where in the world was he?

But before any more could be said the water behind Draco stirred and he heard Hermione's voice.

"Draco, what -"

Then she screamed.

The giant noticed her and dropped Draco to the stone floor. He landed with a smack, hitting his right cheek against it with a crack. Much of what happened next was a blur for him. A constant ringing singed his ears, and there seemed to be three copies of everything running around. First he saw Hermione scrambling out of the water. Then he saw two more heads pop up out of the glassy depths, and he watched as wands were taken out of sopping robes and more than once a tumble happened on the wet stone. Then, just when Draco knew he was going to black out, he saw the flash of light, and then all was dark.

Harry sat against the wall of the dungeon and listened as water dripped from his hair down onto his robes. He was cold and he couldn't help but shiver every ten seconds. Of course it had to be water, and they had to be (presumably) under ground. Not only were they underground, but they were locked out once again. Hermione stood at the iron fence that kept them in the tiny enclosure.

"What the hell was that all about?" Ron asked from the other side of the dungeon.

"I don't know," Hermione said over her shoulder as she tried another spell to try and open the door. "He looks like Hagrid, doesn't he?"

"He's not," Harry said, not giving anyone else a chance to speak. "He's _not_ Hagrid. Hagrid wouldn't hurt any of us." He looked to the body lying near Hermione's feet, head propped up on some folded robes. "Not even Malfoy."

He shivered again, this time having to close his eyes against it.

"Oh jeeze, Harry," Ron said, getting to his feet and walking over to where he sat. "You're freezing again."

Harry wiped his nose with the back of his hand and clenched his teeth.

"I'm fine, Ron."

"No, you're not." Ron reached an arm around the back of Harry's shoulders and pulled him closer. "This isn't good. You're going to get sick again, and that's the last thing we need."

"D-don't tell me we're going to all get naked a-a-and huddle together for warmth?" Harry sniffed, smiling slightly.

For a minute he didn't know if Ron was going to say anything, but then he looked up and saw Ron's grin and felt the rise and fall of his chest as he laughed.

"You'd like that a bit too much, wouldn't you?"

Harry took in a deep breath and held it there for a minute, trying to stop shivering. It didn't work, and he trembled again beneath his freezing robes.

"Maybe," he muttered with a smile.

"You're ridiculous."

"Okay, boys, please," Hermione grabbed the lock of the door and yanked on it. "I'm starting to think that Neville might be the only one here who's actually normal."

"Well," Neville started from the corner. "I wouldn't mind getting a bit warmer, you know."

Hermione turned red in the face and pretended she didn't hear them.

"Boys..." she shook her head.

Just then Draco stirred. Hermione dropped what she was doing and rushed to his side. Harry had to hold back a laugh. How quickly her allegiances changed. This was the same boy who called her a Mudblood in public (and even worse, in private) and now she was doting all over him like he was a prince or something.

"Don't even worry about it," Ron muttered softly to him, having sensed his unease. "I know how you feel. Just don't even think about it."

Harry nodded. There would be time for that later. Time for revenge, even though he wasn't exactly the vengeance type. But after everything he'd been put through, he didn't know how he could possibly forgive the rat-faced boy. Some things just went too far. At least he had Ron to keep him sane.

"Are you all right?" Hermione asked, crouched beside Draco.

"Is everyone alive?" Draco tried to sit up, but had to lie right back down with a hand behind his head. "Ow, that stings..."

"We're all okay," Neville said.

"That wasn't Hagrid, was it?" Draco stared up at the ceiling.

"It _wasn't_ Hagrid," Harry said again. "He wouldn't do that."

"No one is themselves under the Imperius Curse," Draco muttered.

"The what?" Harry asked.

"The Imperius Curse," Draco said again, groaning. When he didn't say anything more, Hermione turned to Harry.

"Imperius is a curse that Dark wizards use to control other wizards. Sort of like puppets. They don't exactly teach that to us at Hogwarts until our fifth year."

"Yeah, Lupin's too busy teaching us all how to kill the monster in the closet," Draco looked over at Harry and for the first time the boy looked exhausted. "There's something really wrong going on here. Are we in Hogwarts or aren't we?"

"We haven't been able to get through the door," Hermione nodded to the gate.

"Great," Draco did sit up this time, and his eyes nearly rolled back into his head. "We have to get out of here if we're going to figure out what's going on."

"I don't see how we're going to do that," Hermione said. "I've tried everything I can think of, and no spell works on this. We really need the key."

"Have you tried," Draco dragged himself over to the body of the giant lying with one arm in the water and the rest sprawled face-first on the floor, "looking in his pockets?"

He looked at Harry in particular, and Harry scowled.

"I would have thought you of all people, Potter, would look in the pockets of a giant with an oversized coat."

"He's not Hagrid," Harry muttered. "But look if you like. I highly doubt -"

"Here's what we need," Draco held up a rusted brass key and handed it to Hermione, much to Harry's disbelief. Why hadn't he thought of that? Better yet, why hadn't Hermione thought of that?

Hermione put the key into the lock and turned. It clicked instantly and Harry watched as the door swung open and a set of stairs rose up until they were enveloped in darkness.

"All right," Draco was helped to his feet by Hermione. "Here we go. Let's get some answers."

The stairs went on for a few minutes, winding this way and that. More than once Neville nearly slipped on the grime and filmy mucous that coated the granite. Before long there was a horizontal sliver of light and they realized as they got closer that it was the bottom of a door.

"Is there a lock on this one too?" Ron complained, but Hermione shushed him, holding up her wand light to reveal that there was no lock.

"I think I know where we are," she started. The door did indeed look familiar, but only she seemed so certain. "This looks like the back entrance to the courtyard."

Harry nodded. "I think you're right. Yeah - this comes up, I don't know - beneath the Quidditch Pitch."

"Well, are we going to open it or not?" Ron shoved his way to the front and grabbed the handle of the door. With a last look at all of them, he opened the door.

Immediately their breath was taken away. They were not, as Hermione suggested, in the courtyard. Rather, they appeared to be on the edge of a large cliff of dirt and stone looking down on where the courtyard used to be.

Pieces of stone from the castle rested here and there at the bottom of the crater, and if Harry had to guess, it was perhaps thirty or forty feet deep. A dark pool rippled at the bottom, tugged here and there by the wind.

"What happened?" Neville asked from behind all of them. "Is this the school?"

"It looks that way," Draco spoke up. They could see remains of what looked like the castle not far off. The once magnificent spires and the Great Hall tumbled to the lawn, or what was left of the lawn. "How did this happen so quickly?"

"Who even did it?" Harry asked.

"Don't be stupid, mate," Ron gave him a dead stare. "You-Know-Who must've done it."

Suddenly Hermione screamed. They all turned to look at her, and Harry followed her gaze.

"There's a body over there!"

She was pointing not ten feet from where they stood, and they hurried as best they could on the small ledge over to where the boy lay. Harry was the first to get to the body, and his jaw dropped when he saw whose body it was.

"Harry?" Hermione said with tears in her eyes.

He felt a tingling, numb sensation in his legs and he fell to the charred grass as he took in the sight before him. It wasn't possible. It just couldn't be possible.

"Who is it?" Neville called as he hurried over to them. "Whose body is it?"

Hermione looked Harry in the eyes and they both shuddered.

"It's your body, Harry," she said, unblinking. "You're dead."


	14. On the Ledge

Chapter Twelve:

ON THE LEDGE

FOR A LONG time Harry just sat there on the remnants of what used to be the sweeping courtyard of Hogwarts Castle. All around him were pieces of great stone columns and chunks of granite. He could smell the stomach-churning stench of sulfur mingled with the odor of his own sweat.

This couldn't be possible...could it? Just a few hours ago Harry would never have imagined this is what lay beyond the dark tunnel that brought them to this place. They were supposed to be home. At least they were supposed to be at the place that _he_ called home. The others all stood around looking just as much in shock as he was. How was this even happening? Was he not Harry? Was he not _himself_? Who was this impostor, if it even was an impostor?

Suddenly he felt a hand on his shoulder and he jumped, knocking back against a pair of legs.

"Woah!" Ron started, stumbling backwards almost to the edge of the crater. "Easy, easy..."

"Hermione," Harry looked up at her, tears staining her face. "You're the smartest of us" (Draco rolled his eyes) "I mean...is this really me?"

"I don't know, Harry."

"Isn't there something you've read? Some book from the restricted section or something that would explain this?"

"Could be Polyjuice Potion," Ron added, but Hermione shook her head.

"No, that's not possible. If you die while under the influence of Polyjuice Potion then you return to your original state. If this were someone else, they wouldn't look like this." She swallowed and looked around at all of them. "They wouldn't look like Harry."

"This is just messed up," Draco walked over to Hermione and spoke as if there was no one in the vicinity but the two of them. "What in the world could've done this?"

"I don't know," Neville stepped up this time, a furious look on his face. "Your mum and dad are the ones who are dark wizards. Why don't _you_ tell _us_?"

"He's right," Ron turned his stare on Draco. "How do we know your parents didn't set us up? How do we know you're not just some impostor planted here the whole time?"

Draco held his hands up.

"That's not true," he took a step back.

"Guys, stop it -"

"No, you stop it, Hermione!" Ron stepped up to her and stared her down, their faces inches apart. "What, you _like_ this scum bag? After two and half _years_ of him calling you a Mudblood and wishing you were dead, you're willing to just let it all go and forgive him?"

"It's not like that," Hermione tried to stand her ground, but Ron shoved her by the shoulder until she knocked into Draco, pushing him father back.

"But it is!" He motioned around himself. "Look at this! Look at where we are! This isn't normal. Not even by wizarding standards. Someone has to be responsible! Why not the terrorist here."

"Terrorist?" Draco finally pushed his way past Hermione so that he could face Ron. "You're such a fool, Weasley. You always have been, the same as your brothers. Oh no, wait - that's a lie. At least your brother was smart enough to actually do something with his life and grow a pair. What about you? You can't even play Quidditch!"

At this Ron pushed Draco hard until he tripped backwards. Hermione started screaming for them to stop, but they were all over each other in a matter of seconds. Ron smashed his fist against Draco's nose and blood began squirting out, running down his upper lip and into his mouth. He grabbed Ron by the hair and yanked it, forcing him off and onto the ground so that he could kick at his stomach.

"STOP IT!" Hermione screamed. "LEAVE EACH OTHER ALONE!"

"You think you're so tough, huh?" Draco gave Ron one last kick in the gut, the red haired boy writhing in pain. Draco brought a hand up to his nose and wiped away the blood that continued to run into his mouth. "Don't you think I want to get out of here more than anyone?"

"Someone has to pay," Ron, still doubled over, glared up at Draco. "Someone has to be held responsible for this."

"This?" Draco chuckled. "You mean the destruction?" He swept an arm around and motioned to the castle. "Last time I checked, I was with you lot the entire time. How in the world could I be held responsible for something as massive as this? Oh, wait - I forgot. Your brain isn't developed enough to be able to comprehend that cold, hard fact."

This was the last straw for Ron. He lunged out at Draco's legs and grabbed an ankle. Before anything else could happen Draco was stumbling backwards, his legs yanked from beneath him. He tumbled back, flailing out for something to catch him, and something did.

Hermione was shoved backwards, falling fast. She tried to step back, but there was nothing to step back onto. Her foot hit solid air, and she slipped over the edge of the crater. The rest of the group could only watch in horror as the girl's body was tossed like rags, hitting the side of the crater, crashing into boulders and dragging dirt as it went, until finally it came to rest near the center, half in the dark water that filled it.

Harry was the first to move. He couldn't feel anything in his legs, but he hurried to the edge, leaning over, preparing to lower himself down. Ron stopped him.

"No! You can't go down there!"

"We have to get her out of there!" Harry struggled against his friend's grasp. "Hermione!"

Hermione wasn't moving. What was worse was that she was lying face down in the dirt. Her leg was twisted at an odd angle.

Ron turned on Draco.

"This is all your fault!"

"_My _fault?" Draco was staring in disbelief at the entire situation. "You're the one who tried to push me off the edge of this cliff!"

"Hermione!" Harry yelled once again, but still nothing.

"She's dead, isn't she?" Neville was sobbing. "You killed her."

"She can't be dead!"

"But what if she is?" Neville stepped up this time. He rarely talked, but this time he took all of their attention. "She was probably the only one who stood a chance at getting us out of here."

Draco took a few steps back and forth, trying to find something in his memory that would help them. But there was nothing. He was overwhelmed, and the entire situation was hopeless. They couldn't get her out of there even with magic! They didn't know anything other than -

"Wait - we can get her out!" he pointed at Harry.

"What?" Harry gave him a look.

"We _can_ get her out. If out magic is strong enough, I think we can."

"How?" Neville asked.

"We'll levitate her out."

"But we've only worked on feathers," Ron started.

"_You've_ only worked on feathers, Weasley," Draco shot him a snide look. "If Harry and I team up and do the spell at the same exact time, I think we can get her out of there."

Ron was about to challenge Draco when Harry stepped in.

"Ron, this has to stop," he put a hand on the boy's shoulder. "We'll get her out, and there's got to be a way we can fix her. I mean, what else are we going to do?"

Ron blinked, then nodded.

"I guess so."

Harry knew it was their only option. It was that, or they leave her to die at the bottom of a crater. He wasn't going to let that happen.

"You think you can do this?" Draco gave him a serious look.

Harry nodded.

"I'm pretty sure I'm capable of this, seeing as I've survived this long at Hogwarts," he smiled slightly, and Draco seemed shocked. But then he swallowed and they looked over the edge of the cliff.

"Okay, on the count of three," Draco said, aiming his wand down at Hermione's body, Harry following suit.

"One..."

Harry adjusted his grip on his wand.

"Two..."

Draco checked his footing in the loose dirt.

He was about to say three, but he was interrupted by Neville's cry of fright. Everyone turned to look at the boy but their eyes went past him to the person standing behind him.

It was a girl with dirty brown hair all matted to her head, trailing down to her shoulders. She held a wand out in the direction of Harry and Draco, and she was wearing what looked like torn and soiled Hogwarts robes.

Harry blinked.

"Hermione?" he asked, not believing what was standing in front of his very eyes.

When she spoke there was no doubt that the figure was Hermione, but there was something different about her beyond her appearance. She walked over to Neville and grabbed him around the neck, aiming her wand now at his temple.

"Step back!" she warned, looking from one to the next.

"Hermione, what are you doing?" Harry asked. He looked from this Hermione to the one down in the crater. What was going on?

The Hermione holding Neville hostage shook her hair out of her face and fixed her stare on Harry and Draco.

"Put your wands down, or I will kill this boy," she gritted her teeth after speaking, taking in breaths with a hissing sound, like someone in pain. "If you take that body out of the crater, everything will be lost!"


	15. Hogwarts Revisited

Chapter Thirteen:

HOGWARTS REVISITED

"Are you going to LISTEN TO ME or not?" the girl who looked like Hermione said, brandishing her wand back and forth between Harry, Ron, and Draco. Hair hung in dirty tendrils, hiding parts of her face including one eye and her left cheek. She was so filthy Draco nearly dismissed her as just another random person, but on closer look there was no mistaking that this girl looked completely like Hermione. But then who was in the pit below them?

"Okay, calm down," Draco held up his hands and slowly bent his knees, setting his wand down on the dirt.

"Wait - what are you doing?" Ron shot a look over at him.

"I'm doing what she says."

"But - but, we don't even know who she is!" Ron continued, but the girl cut him off.

"Don't be foolish, Ronald Bilius Weasley," the girl brushed her hair out of her face and it was then that they saw the entire left side was disfigured, the flesh appearing to have started melting off her skull.

"How do you know my middle name?" Ron almost took a step back, but Harry stopped him by the robes before he moved any closer to the edge of the large crater.

"I know everything about you," the girl started. "You have a fear of spiders and you're horrible at essays."

Ron scoffed. "Easy enough. Any daft idiot with half a brain would notice those things about me."

"He's right," Neville spoke up, and they all looked over at him. "You are pretty stupid, Ron."

"What?"

"We don't have time for this!" the girl shook her wand at Harry this time. "Harry, please, listen to me. We can't stay here. We need to get under cover. _He's_ still out there!"

"He?" Harry slowly lowered his wand to the ground next to Draco's. "You mean Vol-"

"_DON'T _say his name!" the girl rushed at him, waving her hands around, and Harry was afraid that a spell would suddenly shoot out the end of the wand and strike him dead. "It calls him!"

Draco wasn't sure what any of them were talking about, but he wasn't stupid enough to know that you should never speak You-Know-Who's name out loud. It was the most severe form of bad luck, not to mention an omen, sure to bring darkness to even the most bright of occasions. He stepped forward, looking the girl in the eye.

"Okay," he started. "I'm willing to trust you, _if_ you're really Hermione."

The girl watched him with an expression of disbelief and frustration, as if she couldn't believe they wouldn't take her at face value.

"You could be someone under the influence of Polyjuice Potion for all we know. If you're really Hermione, what was the name of the Hippogriff Harry was riding before we came to be here?"

The girl hesitated for a moment.

"We don't have time -"

"Tell us," Harry aimed his wand at the girl's neck. "Or I swear I will not go without a fight."

She laughed a little, her face twisting into a sort of warped smile. Again, she brushed her hair out of her face.

"Don't be stupid, Harry," she said. "I know you don't have even the faintest knowledge of the Unforgivable Curses, nor would your magic be even remotely effective in harming me in any way. But the name of the Hippogriff is Buckbeak."

Harry blinked. So it _was_ her.

"Can we go now?" she motioned for them to collect their wands and follow her, but they were all still standing and sitting there dumbfounded. "Well, come on!"

"Where are we going to go?" Ron asked. "This _is_ Hogwarts, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is," Hermione said. "But you won't recognize it. This is 1998."

"1998?" Draco stumbled forward, moving to walk with Hermione as the rest followed suit. "You mean to tell me that we've gone forward in time?"

"Exactly."

Hermione led them around some fallen columns to the courtyard where the Dueling Club once was erected. Everything was covered in ash and a heavy dust lingered, and the group heard a constant sound of flames licking at wood off in the distance.

"What about the..." Ron stopped, and looked at Harry with a baleful look on his face. "The other Hermione."

Hermione looked over at him. "Don't worry about that. I'm not dead. If I were, how could I come to you now?"

Draco watched her as they walked. She definitely had a point. Perhaps he would have done better to read more in some of his courses. Perhaps that would have given him a little more grasp on the situation, as ridiculous as it seemed, but he decided that nothing could have prepared him for this.

They made it to the front of the castle, or what used to be the front of the castle. Everything was in ruins, but most of the structure still stretched up into the sky. Pieces of the roof and stones littered the ground. Hermione opened the massive mahogany door, which was charred and a bit splintered and turned to them before entering.

"Before we go in," she started, "you need to know one thing. There is no safe haven here, only a reprieve. We can't stay, only for a little. But follow me, and keep up. If something does happen, I want you to run, anywhere. Just get away. You won't be any use to me dead."

And with that, she stepped into the castle.

A heavy stench of burning hair met the classmates, and they coughed it back, bringing their robes up to their mouths to try to fight the stench. Nothing looked the same in here. Pieces of furniture were strewn about and the banners that normally hung from the buttresses were nowhere to be found. But what really caught their attention the most, to their horror, were the bodies.

Everywhere they were strewn over the railings of the stone staircase, leaning against walls and littering nearly every bit of floor available. Dark patches of blood were everywhere, hand prints on the walls, and even shapes that suggested some of the students had exploded.

"What happened?" Harry asked, but it was met by Hermione shushing him.

"Be quiet! Don't speak until I tell you to! Do you want to be caught?"

Harry was going to apologize, but a sound stopped him in his tracks. It was a voice, light in tone with a hiss to it.

"_...hear them, I do..._"

"Wait, do you hear that?" he reached out a hand and touched Hermione on the shoulder. Ron stopped as well, looking around the staircase.

"I didn't hear anything," Hermione said, but Harry held out his hands to keep them from moving.

"It's a voice."

They stood, unmoving, on the start of the moving staircases, but it seemed that Harry was the only one who could hear anything other than the sound of the burning fires. He strained his hearing against the ringing silence of the place. It _was_ a voice! But where was it coming from?

"_...going to get you..._"

"There it is again!" said Harry, and he turned to Hermione. "Can't you hear it?"

"Wait," Hermione looked up to the stairs above them. "This is crazy. It can't be..."

"_...wait right there..._"

Harry heard it to his right, and they all followed him as he looked.

"It's coming from over there," he pointed to a particularly large hole in the wall that was surrounded by rubble and, to their great horror, some dismembered limbs. Hermione jumped back.

"Run!" she said and began vaulting the stairs, climbing as fast as she could. "Everyone run!"

Suddenly out of the hole in the wall slithered one of the largest snakes Harry had ever laid eyes on. It was nearly as big as the basilisk from the Chamber of Secrets, and hanging from its maw was a body dripping with blood. It made its way quickly across the floor, and Harry judged it was probably ten feet long, if not longer, with a body as thick around as a man.

They all ran.

Hermione was stopped at the top of the stairs.

"It's still moving!" she pointed at the next set they needed to take. The stairs were slowly making their way over to where the group stood.

"Come on!" Ron looked back and saw that the snake was starting up the stairs towards them. "We have to jump!"

"We won't make it!" Draco turned to face the snake and pulled out his wand from his robes, swishing it through the air. "_Confringo!_"

A whooshing blast of air erupted from Draco's wand, followed by a stream of flames. They lashed against the snake, and the creature dropped the body from its jaws and unleashed a shriek unlike anything they had heard before. Draco held the flames there for another moment more until finally the stairs arrived and they all hurried up them.

"Nice one!" Hermione said as they made it to the second floor, thankful that the rest of the stairs were already laid out for them. Up and up they hurried, huffing and puffing, until finally they made it to the seventh floor, having jumped a few missing steps and ducked beneath a few overhanging pillars that had toppled from their perch.

"Where are we going?" Harry managed between breaths. "The Common Room isn't on this floor."

"We're not going to the Common Room," Hermione said, and she turned them around a corner where they met a dead end.

Confused, the group just stood and watched as Hermione closed her eyes, steadying her breathing.

"Come on..." she muttered, crossing her fingers. "Come on...work for me..."

To their great astonishment there appeared a door, seeming to melt right out of the stone of the wall. It was immense.

"Yes!" Hermione hurried forward and opened the door, ushering them all inside. When they were all safely inside, she closed the door and muttered an enchantment over it to keep it locked.

Harry watched as she turned to face them.

"Here we are, then."

They all looked at each other.

"_Where_ are we?" Draco asked.

Hermione smiled and clasped her hands together. "The Room of Requirement."

Sounds of befuddlement went from one to the other, and Ron had the most amusing look of confusion on his face. But Hermione went on talking before any of them could speak.

"I can fill you all in now."

"Please do," Draco stood against a tall wardrobe that was covered in dirty sheets. "Because I'm extremely confused."

"I know," Hermione started, brushing her hair out of her face, "and I'm sorry, but there wasn't any other way."

"Wait - the Room of Requirement?" Harry started. Looking around it appeared to be a place filled with all sorts of junk and useless items. "How did you know about this place?"

"You discovered it back in 1995," Hermione took a seat on a pouf that looked strangely like one of the seats from Professor Trelawney's classroom, and folded her hands on her lap. "Dobby told you about it. It's where the Order of the Phoenix held its meetings." Before anyone else could ask any questions she continued, "This _is_ the future. A lot of things have happened that you are not aware of."

"Well, aren't you going to fill us in?" asked Draco.

"Do you think I kept books about these things?" Hermione gave them all a look. "Do you realize how long that would have taken? Besides, I didn't think it would come in very useful when I was living my life."

"The future," Harry looked around. "It doesn't feel very different. I would have thought I'd _know_ if something like this happened. You know, some sort of intuition or something."

"One would expect," Hermione picked up a bottle of something off the shelf near her seat and swished the contents around until they changed color from the dull grey to a bright pink. "Sadly, you won't know unless you control it yourself. Nobody gets a feeling if they have no idea it's happening."

"So, I'm..." Harry took off his glasses and tried to clean them on his robes, with no luck. Everything was dirty here, and he put them back on. "I'm dead, then?"

Hermione looked away.

"Unfortunately, yes."

"We lost, then," Ron put a hand on Harry's shoulder and gave it a squeeze. "We were defeated?"

"Not quite," Hermione cleared her throat. "You are still alive, Ron, along with most of your family. I'm still alive. Draco," she looked over at the boy, "you're alive as well."

"But, what's the point of all of this?" Draco asked, shaking some dirt off the hanging sheets. "I mean, why bring us here? This is still years away, is it not?"

"Yes, that's why I need you here."

"But, let's just say we die here. Doesn't that mean that we can't go back to our real time? We would have messed everything up? _You_ would have messed everything up."

"Let me explain," she held up a hand and then when she had their attention, reached into her robes and pulled out something that hung on a fine golden chain. It looked like a series of rings, and in the middle, a tiny hourglass. "This is a time turner. This is what I used to bring you here."

"So it _was_ you," said Draco. "I had a feeling, but, then again, you didn't remember doing it, so of course you wouldn't have told us so."

"It's not an easy thing to grasp," she stood up this time and walked over to a bird cage, examining it, running her hand back and forth until the dust was removed from the lock on it. "I was given this time turner by Professor McGonagall. I was supposed to use it to get back and forth between my classes, you see, I was taking more than the required amount of courses."

"You would," Ron grinned.

"I know," Hermione smiled back.

"Can we fix this?" Harry still looked like he was in shock from hearing about his death. "I mean, is there a way to set things right, the way they were?"

"I'm hoping so," Hermione gave him a reassuring look. "But it's not going to be easy. You-Know-Who is still out there, and as far as he knows, you are dead. That was supposed to be the end of the story. But, if my research is correct, we can still defeat him the way it was always meant to be. The only trick will be keeping you alive this time long enough to actually defeat him."

"He _can_ be defeated?" Harry was hoping the answer was yes. But what was really on his mind was how Voldemort was able to come back. It had to have happened between when they left and now, but it was all just guesswork for him. "Can't he?"

"He can," Hermione opened the birdcage with her wand. "And this is going to help us to accomplish that."

She reached into the bottom of the birdcage and took out an item. For a moment Harry didn't know what he was looking at, but then he recognized the hilt and glisten from a year before.

"The sword of Gryffindor?"


End file.
